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FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 
REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON.  D.  D. 

BEQUEATHED   BY  HIM  TO 

THE  LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


Sectlo.       qr^Q^ 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arcinive 

in  2011  witin  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/generalhistoryofOObene 


A 


APR    8   1932 


GENERAL    HISTOR^'-^CTf  ra 


AV\V 


.^ 


OF   THE 


BAPTIST   DENOMINATION 


IN 


AMERICA. 


AND    OTHER   PARTS    OF    THE   WORLD, 


/^ 


BY  DAVID  BENEDICT,   A,  M. 

PASTOR  OF  THE  BAPTIST  CHURCH  IN  PAWTUCKET,  E.  I. 


And  he  said  unto  them,  Go  ye  into  all  ths  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  eveny 
creature,  he  that  believeth  and  is  baptized,  shall  i)e  saved  ;  but 
he  that  believeth  not,  shall  be  damned Mark  svi.  15,  16, 

And  the  eunuch  said,  See,  here  is  water,  what  doth  hinder  me  to  be  baptized  ? • 

If  thou  believest  with  all  thine  heart,  thou  mayest 1  believe  that  Jesus  Christ 

is  the  Son  of  God axd  they  went    down  both  into  the  water, 

both  Philip  and  the  eunuch,  and  he  baptized  him and  when  they  were 

BOME  UP  out  or  THE  WATER,  &c .....Aots  viii.  SR— 3^. 


TN-    TWO    VOLUMES. 

VOL.  I, 


BOSTON   : 

PRINTED   BY    LINCOLN    &    EDMANDS*    NO,  5.3,   CaRSHILl, 

?0P,    THE     AUTHOR. 


DISTRICT  OF  MASSACHUSETTS,  to  wit  : 

District  Clerk's  Office, 

Be  it  remembbreb,  that  on  the  twenty  second  day  of  April,  A.  D. 
1813,  and  in  the  thirty  seventh  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  David  Benedict,  of  the  said  District,  has  deposited  in  this 
Office  the  title  of  a  Book,  the  right  whereof  he  claims  as  Author  in  the  words 
following,  to  luit :  "  A  General,  History  of  the  Baptist  denomina- 
tion IN  America,  and  other  parts  of  the  world  By  David  Bene- 
dict. A.  M.  Pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I  And  he  said 
unto  them,  go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature. 
He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized,  shall  be  saved  ;  but  h^   that  believetli  not, 

shall  be  damned Mark  xvi.    15,  16.     And  the  eunuch  said.   See,  here  is 

water,  what  doth  hinder  me  to  be  baptized  ?...   If  thou  believest  with  all  thine 

heart,  thou   mayest I  believe   that   Jesus  Chi-ist  is  tlie  Son  of  God.     And 

they  went  down  both  into  the  water,  both  Philip  and  tlie  eunuch,  and  he  bap- 
tized him And  when  they  were  come  up  out  of  the  water,  &c Acts  viii. 

36—39." 

In  conformity  to  the  Act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  in- 
titled,  *'  An  Act  for  the  Encouragement  of  Learning,  by  securing  the 
Copies  of  Maps,  Charts  and  Books,  to  the  Authors  and  Proprietors  of 
such  Copies,  during  the  Times  therein  mentioned ;"  and  also  to  an  Act  in- 
titled,  "  An  Act  supplementary  to  an  Act,  intitled.  An  Act  for  the  Encour- 
agement of  Learning,  by  secm-ing  the  Copies  of  Maps,  Cha''ts  and  Books,  tQ 
the  Authors  and  Proprietors  of  such  Copies  during  the  times  therein  men- 
tioned ;  and  extending  the  Benefits  thereof  to  the  Arts  of  Designing,  En- 
§;raving  and  Etching  Historical,  and  other  Piints." 


WILLIAM  S.  !^nAW,{Zf/j^£:^: 


PREFACE. 


I  CAN  hardly  inform  the  reader  how  I  came  to  engage  in  this 
work.  According  to  the  best  of  my  recollection,  I  tirst  conceived 
the  design  of  the  laborious  task  I  have  since  pursued,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1802,  and  in  a  short  time  I  found  myself  travelling  in  Ken- 
tucky, Geortjia,  and  the  other  States,  asking  questions,  searching 
records,  and  collecting  materials.  From  this  time,  the  history  of 
the  Baptists,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  became  the  subject  of  my 
interested  attention.  For  between  seven  and  eight  years  from  this 
period,  1  was  so  much  engaged  in  classical  and  professional  studies, 
tliat  1  did  but  bttle  more  towards  perfecting  my  plan,  than  read 
what  books  I  could  hud,  which,  in  any  manner  related  to  it,  collect 
pamphlets,  minutes  of  Associations,  &c.  and  inquire  of  all,  who,  I 
thought,  could  give  me  any  of  the  information  I  wanted.  I  soon 
became  convinced,  that  if  ever  I  pursued  the  undertaking  to  any 
considerable  extent,  I  must  travel  for  it  ;  and  accordingly  in  the 
autumn  of  1809,  I  set  out  on  a  journey,  in  which  I  was  gone  almost 
nine  months.  I  went  into  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and  Tennessee,  and 
then  crossed  over  into  the  southern  States,  and  explored  the  Caroii- 
nas  and  Georgia,  tirst  in  the  back  regions,  and  then  along  the  sea  coast, 
and  returned  through  Virginia,  Maryland,  and  so  on.  I  next  went 
eastward  beyond  the  Penobscot  river  in  the  District  of  Maine. 
After  tliat  I  went  into  the  northern  parts  of  the  State  of  New-York, 
and  in  the  course  of  about  thirteen  mo^iths,  travelled  about  five 
thousand  miles.  Since  then  1  have  travelled  between  one  and  two 
thousand  miles  in  different  parts  of  New-England  on  the  business 
of  this  history.  Most  of  these  journies  have  been  performed  on  horse 
back  and  alone.  And  I  consider  it  a  peculiar  favour  of  Divine  Prov- 
idence, that  amidst  all  my  excursions  in  some  of  the  most  rus:^ed 
and  dreary  parts  of  the  country,  I  have  been  preserved  from  every 
kind  of  accident  and  harm. 

Notwithstanding  I  was  often  lodged  and  refreshed  by  hospitable 
brethren  and  friends,  j'et  my  journies  were  unavoidably  attended 
with  expenses,  which  I  was  not  well  able  to  bear  ;  and,  indeed/^  I 
know  not  what  1  should  have  done,  had  it  not  been,  tha?:  a  number 
of  churches  and  individuals  made  me  very  libfrul  contributions,  ^or 
the  purpose  of  aiding  my  undertaking. 


4  P  11  E  F  A  €  E. 

In  these  journies,  besides  collecting  many  matenals,  I  formed  a 
very  extensive  acquaintance,  and  engaged  correspondents  in  every 
part  of  the  country,  many  of  whom  have  contributed  largely  towards 
the  accomplisiunent  of  this  work.  Still  there  were  many  parts  of  this 
extensive  continent,  which  I  had  not  visited,  and  many  materials  yet 
remained  to  be  collected.  In  the  close  of  the  year  1810,  I  printed  a 
Circular  Address,  &c.  otating  the  progress  I  had  made,  and  the  ma- 
terials I  yet  wanted,  and  distributed  three  hundred  of  them  in  places 
1  had  not  visited.  And  besides  these,  I  have  written  between  five 
and  six  hundred  letters  to  solicit  information  of  various  kinds. 

In  the  summer  of  18 1 1, 1  vvas  brought  tow  by  debility  and  disease; 
for  about  four  months,  my  studies  v^ere  almost  wholly  suspended  ; 
but  a  gracious  God  was  pleased  to  renew  my  strength,  and  I  have 
since  enjoyed,  for  me,  an  unusual  portion  of  health. 

Soon  after  I  began  to  arrange  my  materials,  I  found  the  need  of 
some  one  to  copy  after  me  for  the  press,  and  to  lend  other  assist- 
ances, which  a  second  person  might  perform.  And  I  soon  had  the 
happiness  to  obtain  Mr.  George  H.  Hough,  of  INew-Harapshire,  a 
young  ministering  brother,  acquainted  with  printing,  whose  assist- 
ance has  facilitated  my  work,  and  taken  off  my  hands  the  whole 
laborious  task  of  transcribing  it  for  the  press,  which,  on  account 
of  my  numerous  quotations,  I  found  absolutely  necessary  to  be  done. 

I  did  not,  at  first  contemplate  any  thing  more  at  present,  than  the 
history  of  the  American  Baptists.  I  had,  however,  designed,  at  some 
future  period,  to  compose  a  General  History  of  the  Baptists  in  other 
countries  ;  but  learning  that  Mr.  Ivimey,a  Baptist  minister  in  Lon- 
don, was  engaged  in  writing  the  History  of  the  English  Baptists, 
and  concluding  that  his  work  would,  in  a  great  measure,  if  not 
wholly,  siipersede  the  necessity  of  any  further  exertions  of  mine,  I 
resolved  to  throw  together  in  one  view,  with  as  much  precision  as 
possible,  a  general  account  of  all  who  have  maintained  the  peculiar 
sentiments  of  the  Baptists,  in  foreign  countries  and  ancient  times. 
And  as  I  must,  in  order  to  do  this,  travel  an  extensive  round  of 
ecclesiastical  affairs,  and  refer  to  many  characters  and  events,  which 
might  not  be  fully  understood  by  all  my  readers,  1  concluded,  at  a 
late  period,  to  give,  in  the  first  place,  A  Summary  view  of  Ecclesias- 
tical Histori/,  and  then  A  Miniature  History  of  Baptism,  from  the 
Apostolic  aqe  to  the  present  time. 

This  work,  scanty  and  imperfect  as  it  may  appear,  has  been  col- 
lected from  many  hundred  sources ;  the  field  of  inquiry  has  been 
wide,  and  I  have  endeavoured  to  explore  it  with  faithfulness  and  care. 

The  history  of  the  American  Baptists  abounds  with  incidents  of  a 
common  kind,  but  it  furnishes  very  few  of  those  events  which  give 
pomp  and  splendour  to  the  historick  page.  I  therefore  found  it  ne- 
cessary to  descend  into  minute  details,  to  write  much  journal-wise, 
and,  indeed,  in  any  form,  by  which  I  might  preserve  from  oblivion 
facts,  which  I  thought  worthy  of  being  transmitted  to  posteritj ,  and 
nhich  might  at  the  same  time  be  edifying  to  the  present  generation. 

Many  of  the  events  described  are  of  the  most  familiar  kind  ;  an  at- 
tempt to  elevate  them  by  the  flowers  of  diction,  would  be  prepos- 
terous in  itself,  and  disgusting  to  tiie  reader.     I  expect  most  of  my 


PREFACE,  5 

leaders  will  be  a  plain  people,  unaccustomed  to  the  trappings  of  art, 
and  to  the  labour  of  decyphering  learned  figures  and  distant  simili- 
tudes. But  while  I  have  dispensed  with  the  decorations  of  style,  I 
have  endeavoured  to  regard  an  observation,  which  Cowper  has  made 
in  some  of  his  prose  writings  :  "  Perspicuity  is  half  the  battle  ;  for 
if  the  sense  is  not  so  plain  as  to  stare  you  in  the  face,  but  few  people 
will  take  the  pains  to  poke  for  it." 

I  have  found  it  somewhat  difficult  to  determine  how  to  manage 
the  business  to  my  own  satisfaction,  respecting  the  histories  of  indi- 
vidual churches.  There  are  now  in  all  the  Associations  upwards  of 
two  thousand  ;  to  have  given  a  detailed  account  of  the  origin,  pro- 
gress, and  present  circumstances  of  every  one,  would  have  made  the 
work  too  voluminous  and  costly,  and  the  narratives  would  have  been 
so  similar,  that  there  would  have  been  too  great  a  sameness  in  them, 
to  make  them  generally  interesting.  To  have  given  the  histories  of 
no  churches,  in  their  individual  capacities,  would  have  made  the 
work  too  general,  and  many  interesting  narratives  and  anecdotes 
must  have  been  omitted.  There  remained,  therefore,  no  alterna- 
tive, but  to  give  the  particular  history  of  some  churches,  and  to  omit 
that  of  many  others.  I  suggested  something  on  this  subject  in  my 
Proposals,  and  there  stated,  that  my  intention  was  to  take  particu- 
lar notice  of  those  churches  which  are  the  most  distinguished  for  age, 
for  numbers,  for  prosperity,  or  adversity,  for  being  mother  establish- 
ments, or  for  their  local  situation.  Upon  these  principles  I  have 
proceeded  in  my  selection  of  churches  for  particular  notice.  But 
after  all  my  care,  it  is  possible  I  may  have  been  partial  and  injudi- 
cious. And  as  every  one  is  fond  of  reading  something  about  himself 
and  his  own  people,  it  is  also  possible  1  may  be  blamed  where  1 
ought  not  to  be.  I  should  have  been  glad  to  have  said  mor^  of 
some  churches  and  neighbourhoods  than  I  have  done  ;  I  have  writ- 
ten a  multitude  of  letters  which  have  not  been  answered,  and  there- 
fore shall  acquit  myself  of  blame  in  these  cases. 

When  I  began  this  work,  I  had  not  determined  what  plan  to 
pursue  respecting  biographical  accounts.  But  I  soon  found  that  it 
would  be  impracticable,  and  in  the  judgment  of  my  most  enlight- 
ened brethren,  improper  to  say  much  of  the  living.  I  took  many 
accounts  while  travelling,  and  many  have  been  communicated  by 
others,  which  must  be  omitted  ;  but  they  shall  be  preserved  with 
care,  and  will  be  of  use  to  some  future  historian.  Some  of  my 
fathers  and  brethren  have  rested  from  their  labours  since  this  work 
was  begun,  and  others  may,  and  all  of  us  must  soon  follow  them. 

1  observed  at  first,  that  I  hardly  knew  how  I  came  to  engage  in 
this  undertaking,  and  I  now  can  say,  I  hardly  know  how,  with  m^' 
feeble  health  and  scanty  resources,  I  have  carried  it  through.  The 
cordial  approbation,  which  my  brethren  have  so  generally  manifest- 
ed towards  my  design,  has  been  a  powerful  stimulus  to  perseverance: 
and  I  have  had  the  happiness  of  believing  that  I  tiave  been  employed 
in  the  path  of  duty,  and  that  God,  in  his  providence,  has  prospered 
my  labours.  And  if  no  other  person  should  receive  any  advantage 
from  this  publication,  my  labour  will  not  be  lost  ;  for  thf  pleasure 
and  profit,  which  it  has  afforded  me,  are  more  than  sufficient  to 
«ompensate  all  tha  labour  and  anxiety  it  ha^  cost.     But  T  cannot 


6  PREFACE. 

but  flatter  myself,  that  the  accounts  of  the  wonderful  displays  of  the 
{Trace  of  God,  which  are  here  imperfectly  related,  will  be  read  with 
pleasure  bv  many,  in  the  present  and  in  future  generations. 

Mv  desire  has  been,  to  record  on  the  page  of  history,  important 
events,  which  were  fast  sinking  into  oblivion  ;  to  arrange  in  one 
view  those  which  were  ah-eady  recorded,  and  to  place  the  history  of 
the  American  Baptists  on  such  a  foundation,  that  it  may  easily  be 
continued  by  the  future  historian. 

I  have  found  it  difficult  in  many  cases,  to  fix  the  date  of  events, 
which  have  been  taken  from  the  enfeebled  memories  of  the  aged,  or 
from  documents  in  part  obliterated,  and  throughout  indefinite  and 
obscure.  Cases  have  not  uafrequently  occurred,  where  aged  people 
could  not  perfectly  agree  among  themselves  respecting  things  which 
transpired  in  their  youtli.  Correspondents  have  communicated  ac- 
counts, which  did  not  always  agree  v/ith  each  other.  Young  men  have 
stated  things  according  to  tradition,  and  old  men  according  to  their 
remembrance.  In  these  ways  difficulties  have  arisen,  which  I  have 
laboured  hard  to  solve,  by  writing  many  letters,  and  by  every  other 
means  within  my  reach.  And  I  cannot  but  feel  a  degree  of  confi- 
dence, that  no  great  mistakes  will  be  found  in  my  statements.  But 
as  this  history  will  be  exposed  to  the  observation  of  thousands,  who 
have  been  eye-witnesses  of  the  scenes  it  describes,  if  any  essential 
errors  should  be  discovered,  I  shall  esteem  it  a  favour  to  be  inform- 
ed of  them,  and  they  shall  be  corrected  with  cheerfulness  and  care. 

DAVID  BENEDICT. 


Pan-tucket^  near  Providence,  R.  I.  } 
April  It),  IB  1^.  i" 


GENERAL  HISTORY,  &c. 


CHAP.  I. 

A    SUMMARY    VIEW    OF    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY. 

THE  introduction  of  the  gospel  system  was  a  most?  glo- 
rious and  important  event.  At  the  time  the  Sun  of  Right- 
eousness arose  upon  the  \\orld,  it  was  in  a  state  of  pro= 
found  ignorance,  and  the  deepest  moral  misery. 

The  Jews,  the  ancient  people  of  God,  had  generally  de- 
parted from  the  piety  of  their  ancestors,  and  were  sunk  into 
formality  and  hypocrisy.  The  Gentile  nations,  whether 
barbarous  or  civilized,  were  involved  in  the  grossest  idol- 
atry ;  their  deities  ^vere  multiplied  to  an  extravagant  de- 
gree, almost  every  thing  in  creation  was  worshipped,  and 
the  enlightened  city  of  Rome  contained,  at  one  time,  thirty 
thousand  different  deities,  which  had  been  collected  from 
the  conquered  nations.  A  magnificent  temple,  called  the 
Pantheon,  that  is,  the  temple  of  all  the  gods,  had  been 
erected,  in  which  this  mighty  host  of  divinities  was  as- 
sembled. 

Towards  the  conclusion  of  the  reign  of  Herod  the  Great, 
the  Son  of  God,  who  had  long  been  foretold  by  the  an- 
cient prophets,  descended  upon  earth.  Although  the 
world  was  involved  in  darkness  at  this  time,  yet  the  na- 
tions were  generally  in  a  state  of  tranquillity  and  repose. 
The  vast  Roman  empire,  in  which  Palestine  was  then  in- 
cluded, w-as  less  agitated  with  wars  and  tumults  at  the 


8  Churches  began  to  be  founded. 

birth  of  Christ,  than  it  had  been  for  many  years  before. 
And,  indeed,  some  historians  have  maintained  that  the 
temple  of  Janus*  was  then  shut,  and  that  wars  and  dis- 
cords absolutely  ceased  throughout  the  world. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Messiah  appeared,  his  minis- 
try and  death,  and  all  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom  and  peo- 
ple, for  many  years  after  he  ascended  on  high,  are  record- 
ed in  the  New  Testament.  His  disciples  began  to  con- 
gregate into  churches,  soon  after  he  left  the  earth.  The 
church  at  Jerusalem  was  formed  the  evening  of  the  glori- 
ous  day  of  his  ascension,  in  an  upper*  room,  and  consisted 
of  about  a  hundred  and  twenty  believing  men  and  women. 
Tiie  persecution,  which  arose  about  the  time  of  Stephen's 
death,  caused  all  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  except  the  apos- 
tles, to  leave  Jerusalem.  They  proceeded  out  every  way 
like  the  radii  of  a  circle  from  the  centre,  and  formed 
churches  in  many  places,  first  in  Palestine,  then  in  other 
parts  of  Asia,  next  in  the  Asiatic  islands,  and  lastly  irj 
Europe, 

Mr.  Robinson  has  shown  that  the  apostles  and  primi- 
tive preachers  gathered  churches  in  between  sixty  and 
seventy  different  cities,  towns,  and  provinces,  and  in  ma- 
ny instances  a  number  were  gathered  in  each.  These 
churches  were  all  composed  of  reputed  believers,  who  had 
been  baptized  by  immersion  on  the  profession  of  their  faith. 
Their  bishops  and  elders  were  merely  overseers  of  their 
spiritual  flocks  ;  they  claimed  no  right  to  lord  it  over 
God's  heritage  ;  every  church  was  an  independent  body, 
and  no  one  claimed  a  right  to  regulate  the  affairs  of  another. 
If  they  met  in  council,  as  they  did  at  Jerusalem,  it  was  to 
advise,  not  to  give  law. 

The  church  of  Christ  has  always  been  taught  by  the  con- 
duct of  the  people  of  this  world,  that  this  is  not  her  home. 
She  was  persecuted  at  first  by  the  Jews,  then  by  the  pa- 
gans, and  next  by  monsters  under  the  christian  name. 

*  Janus,  according'  to  heathen  fable,  was  the  most  ancient  king,  who  reign- 
ed in  Italy.  Some  authors  make  him  son  of  Apollo,  some  of  CaJus  and 
Hecate,  and  others,  a  native  of  Athens.  Janus  is  i-epresented  with  two  faces, 
because  he  was  acquainted  with  the  past  and  the  future ;  or,  according  to 
others,  because  he  was  taken  for  the  sun,  wlio  opens  the  day  at  his  rising,  and 
shuts  it  at  his  setting.  He  was  chiefly  worshipped  among  the  Romans.  His 
temple,  which  was  always  open  in  times  of  war,  was  shut  only  three  times,  for 
the  space  of  seven  hundred  years,  for  during  that  long  period  of  time  the  Ro- 
mans were  continually  employed  in  war.  Classical  Dictionary, 


Extent  of  Rom.  Empire. . .  Ten  general  Persecutlo?i3.      9 

Christianity  prospered  greatly  under  the  ministry  of  the 
apostles  and  primitive  preachers,  and  in  a  short  time  was 
carried  to  most  parts  of  the  Roman  empire,  which  extend- 
ed in  length  above  three  thousand  miles,  from  the  river 
Euphrates  in  the  east,  to  the  western  ocean  ;  in  breadth  it 
was  more  than  two  thousand  miles,  nnd  the  whole  consist- 
ed of  above  sixteen  hundred  thousand  square  miles.  This 
vast  empire  was  an  assemblage  of  conquered  kingdoms  and 
provinces,  and  comprehended,  at  the  commencement  of 
Christianity,  most  of  the  civilized  world.  And  at  this 
period,  it  is  said  to  have  contained,  one  huadred  and 
twenty  millions  of  souls.* 

Providence  seems  to  have  chosen  this  vast  dominion, 
for  the  scene  of  the  first  gospel  labourers.  The  multitude 
of  languages  amongst  its  inhabitants  was  no  obstruction  to 
them,  for  they  were  inspired  to  speak  with  other  tongues. 
Opposition  they  frequently  met  with,  but  this  fell  out  to 
the  furtherance  of  the  gospel ;  for  when  persecuted  in  one 
city  they  fled  to  another,  and  carried  Vv  ith  them  the  light  of 
truth.  The  Lord  gave  the  word  to  his  servants,  and  great 
was  the  company,  who  published  it  abroad. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  form  any  probable  conjecture  of 
the  number  of  converts  to  Christianity  in  the  early  ages  of 
the  church,  but  it  must  have  been  immensely  great,  for  it 
is  supposed  that  three  millions  were  sacrificed  in  the  three 
first  centuries,  to  the  rage  of  pagan  persecutors.  In  these 
three  centuries  there  were  ten  general  persecutions, fomented 
by  so  many  cruel  pagan  emperours.  They  did  not  reign, 
however,  in  regular  succession,  and  in  the  intervening 
spaces  between  their  reigns,  the  empire  was  governed  by 
princes,  who  entertained  a  great  variety  of  opinions  re- 
specting Christianity.  Some  turned  it  into  ridicule,  others 
showed  some  degree  of  clemency  towards  the  christians  ; 
some  repealed  the  persecuting  laws  of  their  predecessors, 
while  others  left  them  to  their  destructive  operation.  But 
the  pagan  priests  continually  employed  their  malicious  el- 
oquence to  defame  the  disciples  of  Christ,  and  to  rouse  the 
persecuting  sword  against  them.  They  laid  to  their  charge 
the  earthquakes,  famines,  pestilences,  and  conflagrations, 
and  all  the  national  calamities  which  happened  where  they 
resided.      And  they  persuaded  the  magistrates  that  the 

•  Robinson's  Ecclesiastical  Researches,  p,  13,  14. 
2 


10        Persecution  by  Nero. ..F/iny^s  Letter  to  Trajan. 

gods  sent  down  these  judgments  to  avenge  theii*  lenity  to- 
%vards  the  christians. 

The  first  of  these  ten  persecutions  was  begun  by  the 
abandoned  Nero.  He  was  the  first  emperour  who  shed  the 
blood  of  christians,  and  it  is  said  that  Peter  and  Paul  were 
of  the  number.  The  city  of  Rome  took  fire,  and  a  con- 
siderable part  of  it  was  consumed.  The  perfidious  Nero 
v/as  thought  to  have  kindled  the  fire,  but  that  cruel  prince 
accused  the  innocent  christians  of  the  horrid  crime,  and 
avenged  it  upon  them  in  a  most  barbarous  manner.  He 
caused  some  to  be  v/rapped  up  in  combustible  garments, 
which  were  set  on  fire  ;  others  were  fastened  to  crosses, 
others  were  torn  to  pieces  by  wild  beasts,  and  thousands 
suffered  death  in  the  most  horrid  and  cruel  forms. 

The  persecutions  under  all  the  ten  emperours,  were  sim- 
ilar in  many  respects  ;  some  of  them  were  but  short,  and 
others  of  longer  duration.  The  christians  suffered  every 
privation,  and  were  put  to  death  by  all  the  excruciating 
tortures,  which  infernal  ingenuity  could  invent.  Multi- 
tudes were  confined  in  theatres,  where  wild  beasts  were  let 
loose  upon  them,  and  they  were  worried  and  devoured, 
for  the  divereion  of  thousands  of  barbarous  spectators,  who 
sat  elevated  above  the  reach  of  harm. 

The  third  persecution  was  under  Trajan,  a  prince  re- 
nowned for  many  excellent  qualities,  but  who  was,  never- 
theless, a  dreadful  scourge  to  the  disciples  of  Christ.  The 
letters  which  passed  between  him  and  Pliny,  the  gov- 
ernor of  By  thinia,  I  shall  here  transcribe. 

C.  Pliny  to  Trajan  Emperour ^  health, 

"  It  is  my  usual  custom,  Sir,  to  refer  all  things,  of  which 
I  harbour  any  doubts,  to  you.  For  who  can  better  direct 
my  judgment  in  its  hesitation,  or  instruct  my  understand- 
ing in  its  ignorance  ?  I  never  had  the  fortune  to  be  pres- 
ent at  any  examination  of  christians,  before  1  came  into 
this  province.  I  am  therefore  at  a  loss  to  determine,  what 
is  the  usual  object,  cither  of  inquiry  or  punishment,  and  to 
■what  length  cither  of  them  is  to  be  carried.  It  has  also 
been  with  me  a  question  \ery  problematical,  wiiether  any 
distinction  should  be  made  between  the  young  and  the 
old,  the  tender  and  the  robust  ;  whether  any  room  should 
be  given  for  repentance,  or  the  guilt  of  Christianity  once 


Pliny'' s  Letter  to  Trajan.  11 

incurred  is  not  to  be  expiated  by  the  most  unequivocal 
reiraction  ;  whether  the  name  itself,  abstracted  from  any 
flagitiousness  of  conduct,  or  the  crimes  connected  with 
the  name,  be  the  object  of  punishment.  In  the  mean  time 
this  has  been  my  method,  with  respect  to  those  who  were 
brought  before  me  as  christians.  I  asked  them  whether 
they  were  christians  ?  If  they  pleaded  guilty,  I  interro- 
gated them  tM'ice  afresh,  with  a  menace  of  capital  punish- 
ment. In  case  of  obstinate  perseverance,  I  ordered  them 
to  be  executed.  For  of  this  I  had  no  doubt,  whatever 
was  the  nature  of  their  religion,  that  a  sullen  and  obstinate 
inflexibility  called  for  the  vengeance  of  the  magistrate. 
Some  there  were  infected  with  the  same  madness,  whom, 
on  account  of  their  privilege  of  citizenship,  I  reserved  to  be 
sent  to  Rome,  to  be  referred  to  your  tribunal.  In  the 
course  of  this  business,  informations  p(>uring  in,  as  is  usual 
when  they  are  encouraged,  more  cases  occurred.  An 
anonymous  libel  was  exhibited,  with  a  catalogue  of  names 
of  persons,  who  yet  declared,  that  they  were  not  christians 
then,  or  ever  had  been,  and  repeated  after  me  an  invoca- 
tion of  the  gods  and  of  your  image,  which,  for  this  pur- 
pose, 1  had  ordered  to  be  brought  with  the  images  of  the 
deities,  performed  sacred  rites  with  w  ine  and  frankincense, 
and  execrated  Christ,  none  of  which  things,  I  am  told,  a 
real  christian  can  ever  be  impelled  to  do.  On  this  ac- 
count I  dismissed  them.  Others,  named  by  an  informer, 
first  affirmed  and  then  denied  ihe  charge  of  Christianity,  de- 
claring that  they  had  been  christians,  but  had  desisted,  some 
three  years  ago,  others  still  longer,  some  even  twenty  years 
ago.  All  of  them  worshipped  your  image,  and  the  statues 
of  the  gods,  and  also  execrated  Christ.  And  this  was  the 
account  which  they  gave  me  of  the  nature  of  the  religion  they 
once  had  professed,  whether  it  deserves  the  name  of  crime 
or  error,  that  they  were  accustomed  on  a  stated  day  to  meet 
before  day-light,  and  to  repeat  among  themselves  an  hymn 
to  Christ  as  to  a  God,  and  to  bind  themselves  by  an  oath 
with  an  obligation  of  not  committing  any  wickedness,  but 
on  the  contrary,  of  abstaining  from  thefts,  robberies,  and 
adulteries,  also  of  not  violating  their  promise,  or  denying  a 
pledge,  after  which,  it  was  their  custom  to  separate,  and  to 
meet  again  at  a  promiscuous,  harmless  meal,  from  which 
last  they  yet  desisted,  after  the  publication  of  my  edict  in 


12  Trajan  to  Pliny., .Christianity  Prospers. 

which,  agreeably  to  your  orders,  I  forbade  any  societies. 
On  which  account,  1  judged  it  the  more  necessary,  to  in- 
quire by  torture  from  two  females,  who  were  said  to  be 
deaconesses,  what  is  the  real  truth.  But  nothing  could  I 
collect,  except  a  depraved  and  excessive  superstition. 
Deferring,  therefore,  any  further  investigation,  I  determin- 
ed to  consult  you.  For  the  number  of  culprits  is  so  great, 
as  to  call  for  serious  consultation.  For  many  are  informed 
against  of  every  age  and  of  both  sexes,  and  more  still  will 
be  in  the  same  situation.  For  the  contagion  of  the  super- 
stition hath  spread  not  only  through  cities,  but  even  vil- 
lages and  the  country.  Not  that  I  think  it  impossible  to 
check  and  correct  it :  The  success  of  my  endeavours 
liitherto  forbids  such  desponding  thoughts ;  for  the  tem- 
ples once  almost  desolate,  begin  to  be  frequented,  and  the 
sacred  solemnities,  which  had  long  been  intermitted,  are 
now  attended  afresh ;  and  the  sacrificial  victims  are  now 
sold  every  where,  which  once  could  scarce  find  a  pur- 
chaser. Whence  I  conclude,  that  many  might  be  reclaim- 
ed, were  the  hope  of  impunity  on  repentance  absolutely 
confirmed." 

Trajan  to  Pliny. 

"You  have  done  perfectly  right,  my  dear  Pliny,  in  the 
inquiry  which  you  have  made  concerning  christians.  For 
truly,  no  one  general  rule  can  be  laid  down,  which  will  ap- 
ply itself  to  ail  cases.  They  must  not  be  sought  after.  If 
they  are  brought  before  you  and  convicted,  let  them  be 
capitally  punished,  yet  with  this  restriction,  that  if  any  re- 
nounce Christianity,  and  evidence  his  sincerity  by  suppli- 
cating our  gods,  however  suspected  he  may  be  for  the 
past,  he  shall  obtain  pardon  for  the  future,  on  his  repent- 
ance. But  anonymous  libels  in  no  case  ought  to  be  at- 
tended to ;  for  the  precedent  would  be  of  the  worst  sort, 
and  perfectly  incongruous  to  the  maxims  of  my  govern- 
ment." 

This  letter  of  Pliny's  was  written  about  106  or  107.  It 
suggests  many  remarks,  which  have  been  judiciously  made 
by  the  late  Rev.  John  Newton.  They  are  found  in  the 
sixth  volume  of  his  works,  New- York  edition. 

Notwithstanding  the  violence  with  which  persecution 
raged  in  the  three  first  centuries,  yet  Christianity  never 
prospered  mor^  than  in  these  trying  times.      The  constan-f 


Consiantine  the  Great  embraces  Christianity.         13 

cy  of  the  christian  sufferers  emboldened  their  brethren  to 
persevere,  and  led  many  to  examine  into  the  nature  of  that 
religion,  which  exposed  its  professors  to  such  calamities, 
and  which,  at  the  same  time,  inspired  them  with  such  ho- 
ly fortitude,  amidst  the  torturing  agonies  of  death.  And 
their  enemies  soon  found  that  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  was 
the  seed  of  the  church. 

We  are  now  about  to  take  a  view  of  the  christian  cause, 
under  circumstances  very  different  from  those  which  have 
been  related. 

A  little  more  than  three  hundred  years  after  the  birth  of 
Christ,  the  Roman  Emperour,  Constanline  the  Great,  em- 
braced the  christian  faith,  and  not  only  abolished  all  the 
persecuting  edicts  of  his  predecessors,  but  established  re- 
ligion by  law.  And  under  legal  establishments  of  different 
kinds,  the  great  mass  of  christian  professors  have  been  in- 
cluded from  that  inauspicious  period  to  the  present  time. 
The  conversion  of  this  emperour  was  effected  by  the  mi- 
raculous appearance  of  a  cross  in  the  heavens,  w  hile  he  was 
marching  at  the  head  of  his  armies.  This  story  has,  how^- 
ever,  been  considered,  and  not  without  just  grounds,  a 
fabulous  invention  of  after-times.  And,  indeed,  the  sin- 
cerity of  this  royal  convert  has  never  been  fully  established. 
But  so  it  was,  that  either  from  motives  of  civil  policy,  or 
from  a  genuine  conviction  of  its  truth,  he  espoused  the 
christian  cause,  and  established  it  as  the  religion  of  his  em- 
pire. This  was  hailed  by  most  as  an  auspicious  and  prom- 
ising measure  ;  but  it  proved  in  the  end  to  be  a  dangerous 
favour,  big  with  calamity  and  harm.  It  was  indeed  a  desir- 
able thing  to  be  freed  from  the  rage  of  a  persecuting  pow- 
er ;  it  was  also  a  pleasant  sig^it,  to  the  worshippers  of  the 
true  God,  to  see  the  whole  system  of  paganism,  w'hich  had 
been  the  pride  of  ages,  gradually  dissolved  and  sinking  in- 
to insignificance  and  contempt.  And  had  Constantine  re- 
pealed all  persecuting  laws,  and  left  religion  to  stand  upon 
its  own  foundation,  he  would  have  done  essential  service 
to  the  church  of  Christ,  and  every  christian  would  have 
reason  to  respect  his  memory.  But  when  princes  under- 
take in  religion,  they  either  do  too  much  for  it,  or 
against  it.  "  This  zealous  prince,  (says  Mosheim)  em- 
ployed all  the  resources  of  his  genius,  all  the  authority  of 
his  laws,  and  all  the  engaging  charms  of  his  munificence 


1 4     Great  changes  effected^ . . . Prosperity  becomes  a  snare. 

and  liberality,  to  efface  by  degrees  the  superstitions  of  pa- 
ganism, and  propagate  Christianity  in  every  corner  of  the 
Roman  empire."*  "  Nothing  (says  Milner)  can  be  more 
splendid  than  the  external  appearance  of  Christianity  at  this 
time.  An  emperour,  full  of  zeal  for  the  propagation  of 
the  only  divine  religion,  by  edicts,  restores  every  thing  to 
the  church  of  which  it  had  been  deprived,  indemnifies 
those  who  had  suffered,  honours  the  pastors  exceedingly, 
recommends  to  governors  of  provinces  to  promote  the  gos- 
pel— be  also  erects  churches  exceedingly  sumptuous  and 
ornam^ental,  with  distinctions  of  parts,  corresponding  in 
some  measure  to  those  in  Solomon's  temple  ;  his  mother 
Helena  also  fills  the  whole  Roman  world  with  her  munifi- 
cent acts  in  support  of  religion,  and  so  on."t 

Many  were  elated  beyond  measure  at  this  external  pros- 
perity and  magnificence  :  but  the  old  veterans  in  the  chris- 
tian cause,  foresaw  the  evils  which  were  brooding  over  them. 
They  judged  rightly  when  they  suspected  that  these  splen- 
did iDenefits  were  purchased  at  too  dear  a  rate,  for  the  em- 
perour, who  had  taken  the  church  into  his  princely  favour, 
claimed  the  privilege  of  regulating  its  affairs. 

Now  religion  assumed  a  prosperous  appearance,  but 
very  little  of  the  spirit  of  godliness  was  to  be  seen .  Now 
the  bishops  and  pastors,  especially  those  in  populous  cities 
and  towns,  were  exalted  to  a  pitch  of  worldly  grandeur, 
in  consequence  of  the  princely  endowments  which  their 
churches  had  received.  Now  multitudes  came  swarming 
into  the  church,  in  pursuit  of  the  emoluments  which  it  of- 
fered them.  Now  blasting  errors,  augmented  supersti- 
tions, and  pompous  and  unmeaning  forms  of  piety,  which 
had  long  been  gaining  ground,  ripened  apace,  and  soon  ar- 
rived to  a  dreadful  maturity.  In  a  word,  every  thing  in 
faith  and  practice,  that  was  opposite  to  the  pure  religion  of 
J'^sus,  came  pouring  in  like  a  flood,  and  this  heavenly  sys- 
tem was  disrobed  of  its  primeval  beauty,  and  sunk  be- 
neath an  oppressive  load,  from  which  it  has  never  yet  ful- 
■y  recovered. 

The  Bishop  of  Rome  soon  rose  to  preeminence  among 
his  brethren,  on  account  of  his  local  situation,  and  the 
foundation  for  the  magnificent  papacy  was  laid.  The 
bishops  of  Antioch,  Alexandria,  and  of  Constantinople,  were 

*  Vol.  I.  p.  31$.  t  Vol.  II.  p.  Sj. 


The  Church  of  Rome.  15 

soon  exalted  to  superior  dignity.  Next  came  J.ichbishops, 
Patriarchs,  Exarchs,  Metropolitans,  Suffragans,  Popes, 
Cardinals,  Monks,  Nuns,  Synods,  Councils,  Anathemas, 
Dungeons,  Gibbets,  Flames,  and  Death,  all  for  the  glo- 
ry of  a  God  of  mercy,  and  the  honour  of  his  holy  name. 

We  have  now  opened  to  a  wide  field,  and  a  mighty  mass 
of  materials  presents  itself,  which,  however,  we  can  but 
just  glance  upon  without  extending  this  article  farther 
than  would  comport  with  its  design. 

In  farther  pursuing  this  subject,  I  shall  relate,  under  separ- 
ate heads,  accounts  of  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
bodies  of  professed  christians,  and  also  of  the  most  striking 
events  which  have  occurred  in  the  christian  world. 

The  Church  of  Rome, 

"  The  Church  of  Rome  is  now  a  phrase  of  magnitude 
and  splendour,  yet  at  first  it  stood  for  no  more  than  an  as- 
sembly of  converted  Jews,  dwelling  at  Rome,  who  met 
for  worship  in  the  hired  house  of  Paul  of  Tarsus  then  a 
prisoner."* 

The  early  history  of  this  church  is  covered  with  obscuri- 
ty, but  the  deficiency  of  historical  facts  has  been  supplied 
by  Papist  writers  with  a  multitude  of  fabulous  tales.  But 
it  is  sufficiently  evident,  that  the  church  of  Rome  remained 
for  a  long  time  a  small  body  of  christians,  who  were  but 
little  known  to  the  rest  of  the  people  of  this  great  city. 
The  bishop  of  Rome  preached  in  a  private  house,  and 
merely  superintended  the  care  of  his  little  flock,  and  doubt- 
less never  expected  his  successors  would  arise  to  the  high- 
est summit  of  blasphemous  eminence,  and  hurl  their  anath- 
emas to  distant  nations,  dethrone  kings  and  emperours,  and 
make  them  bow  at  their  feet. 

Sylvester  was  bishop  of  Rome  in  the  reign  of  Constan- 
tine,  and  Catholics  pretend  that  he  was  the  thirty-fourth  in 
succession.  In  the  days  of  Sylvester,  it  is  believed,  that 
the  people,  who  were  afterwards  called  Wakknses,  began 
to  separate  from  the  church,  which  had  become  a  tool  of 
state,  and  was  fast  plunging  into  error  and  superstition. 

The  bishop  of  Rome  arose  by  gradual  steps  to  eminence 
and  authority,   until  he  acquired   the  title  of  Universal 

•  Robinson's  Ecclesiastical  Researches,  p.  117. 


1 6         Title  0  f  Unhersal  Bishop. . . .  Number  of  Popes. 

Bishop.*  This  title  was  conferred  upon  Boniface  III.  by 
the  eiDperoiir  Phocas,  in  606  ;  and  from  this  period  writers 
generally  date  the  rise  of  Antichrist.  If  this  be  correct, 
his  reign  will  end,  or  the  1260  years  will  expire  about  fifty 
years  hence. 

From  the  time  of  Boniface  III.  to  that  of  Gregory  VII.  a 
period  of  a  little  less  than  five  hundred  years,  there  were  no 
less  than  a  hundred  and  fourteen  pontitfs  elevated  to  the 
Papal  chair,!  and  from  the  outrageous  reign  of  the  last 
mentioned  pope,  to  the  present  time,  the  number  of  these 
antichiistian  bishops  has  been  peculiarly  great,  but  I  am 
not  able  now  to  state  it. 

*  The  manner  in  which  tliepope  obtained  the  title  of  Universal  Bishop,  is 
Tery  ingeniously  described  by  Mr.  M'Gowan  in  his  Dialogues  of  Devils. 
Fastosus,  that  is,  the  proud  or  haughty  devil,  is  represented  as  speaking. 
This  devil  was  the  author  of  all  the  ambitious  projects  of  aspiring  ecclesi- 
astics. He  had  set  up  a  work  shop  near  the  throne  of  St.  Peter,  and  had  al- 
ready furnished  many  bishops  with  medals,  inscribed  with  Father,  Patri- 
arch, and  so  on.  "  Long  (says  Fastosus)  and  very  successfully  had  I  follow- 
ed this  mediilian  trade,  when  a  famous  and  worthy  prelate  of  Rome,  who  was 
a  great  admirer  of  my  productions,  came  into  my  office.  After  doing  obei- 
sance to  me,  and  turning  over  my  pretty  devises,  he  asked  me,  "  If  I 
thought,  with  all  my  ingenuity,  I  could  produce  a  genuine  medal  with  this 
inscription,  Pap.'vs  Sdpkemus;  or  Episcopus  Universalis."  I  told  him 
that  if  all  tlie  artists  in  hell  were  to  unite  their  wisdom  in  one  mecham'cal 
head,  it  v.ould  be  utterly  impossible  ;  for,  said  I,  the  whole  creation  doth  not 
furnish  sufficient  materials.  But  if  it  please  your  holiness,  I  can  make  you  a 
sham  medal  of  that  sort,  which  may,  perhaps,  answer  ail  the  ends  you  have 
in  view,  as  well  as  if  it  were  real.  «<  Oh  !  (said  he)  I  care  not,  for  my  part, 
w  hetlier  it  is  real  or  counterfeit,  if  I  can  only,  by  yoiu*  assistance,  my  worthy 
Fastosus,  impose  upon  the  credulity  of  mankind,  and  make  the  world  believe 
that  I  am  supreme  pope  and  universal  bishop  ;  then  I  should  reign,  with  des- 
potic poucr,  over  the  estates  and  consciences  of  all  chris'ians.  My  good 
friend,  please  jou  to  make  me  tiie  medal,  and  I  will  cause  the  world  to  beheve 
that  1  had  it  from  tlie  Almighty,  with  letters  patent  under  the  broad  seal  of 
heaven,  for  the  sole  use  of  it  to  me  and  my  successors  forever."  I  well  know, 
returned  I,  that  your  holiness  means  no  more,  than  in  a  pious  manner  to  im- 
pose the  cheat  upon  the  world,  the  better  to  fill  your  coffers,  and  aggrandize 
your  name ;  in  which  laudable  undertaking,  your  adored  Festosus  shall  be 
ever  ready  to  direct  and  assist.  To  work  I  went,  having  called  in  the  assist- 
ance of  several  of  our  friends,  and  made  a  coimterfeit  medal,  in  the  likeness 
t,{  a  treble  crown,  with  certain  inscriptions  of  the  cabalistick  kind  upon  it. 
They  were  short  but  pithy  sentences,  as  you  shall  hear.  On  the  one  side  of 
the  first  crown  was  inscribed,  "  He  that  is  honoured  as  the  wearer  of  this 
medal,  is  possest  of  infallible  knowledge."  Opposite  to  that  was  carved  in 
fine  ItaHan,  "  He  is  supreme  over  all  laws,  divine  and  human."  On  the  right 
side  of  the  second  crown  were  these  words  in  large  capitals,  "  I'his  is  the 
Head  of  the  Church."  On  the  left  were  these,  "  This  is  the  vicar  of  Christ, 
and  successor  of  Peter."  On  the  third  and  uppermost  crown  w'ere  the  foliow- 
jng,  "  The  keys  of  Heaven,  Hell,  and  Purgatory,  arc  in  Jiis  possession,  and 
used  only  at  his  pleasure."  Round  the  edge  was  this  writing,  "  He  reigneth 
supreme  over  all  tiie  kings  of  the  earth,  putteth  down  one,  and  exalteth 
another  at  his  pleasure."  Dialogues  o/DeviUy  p.  217 — ^219. 

f  Trial  of  Antichrist,  p.  14. 


The  Pope  becomes  a  temporal  Prince.  17 

The  history  of  the  Roman  pontiffs  is  replete  with  every 
thing  shocking  to  the  feelings  of  piety  and  humanity. 
Notwithstanding  their  high  pretensions  to  sanctity,  many 
of  them  were  the  most  flagitious  monsters  that  ever 
walked  the  earth  ;  their  scandalous  amours  were  notori- 
ous throu52:hout  their  dominions,  and  many  of  their  illegit- 
imate children  have  cut  distinguished  figures  in  the  world. 
Their  ambitious  projects  set  the  world  in  commotion  ; 
their  avarice  drained  the  coffers  of  their  blind  devotees^ 
and  Sixtus  V.  left  behind  him  at  his  death,  above  five 
millions  of  gold.* 

Some  of  those  spiritual  potentates  w^ere  respectable  as 
eaithly  princes,  but  others  were  the  most  violent  and  per- 
fidious wretches  that  ever  swayed  a  sceptre.  And  in  their 
quarrels  with  surrounding  sovereigns,  they  had  the  advan- 
tage of  adding  to  their  military  forces,  their  thundering 
anathemas,  by  which  princes  were  deposed  from  their 
thrones,  their  subjects  absolved  from  their  allegiance,  and 
promised  with  pardons  for  rebellion,  and  heaven  for  suc- 
cess. 

Although  die  popes  had  arisen  to  the  highest  summit  of 
splendour  and  magnificence,  and  had,  according  to  their 
pretensions,  the  spiritual  destinies  of  all  at  their  disposal, 
yet  the  first  who  became  a  temporal  prince  was  Zachary 
I.  The  manner  in  which  earthly  dominions  were  attached 
to  the  papacy,  is  described  by  Mosheim  in  the  follow- 
ing manner. 

"  The  honours  and  privileges,  which  the  western  na- 
tions had  voluntarily  conferred  upon  the  bishops,  and  oth- 
er doctors  of  the  church,  were  now  (eighth  century)  aug- 
mented with  new  and  immense  accessions  of  opulence  and 
authority.  The  endowments  of  the  church  and  monas- 
teries, and  the  revenues  of  the  bishops,  uere  hitherto  con- 
siderable ;  but  in  this  century  a  new  and  ingenious  meth- 
od was  found  out  of  acquiring  much  greater  riches  to  the 
church,  and  of  increasing  its  wealth  through  succeeding 
ages.  An  opinion  prevailed  universally  at  this  time, 
though  its  authors  are  not  known,  that  the  punishment, 
which  the  righteous  Judge  of  the  world  has  reserved  for 
the  transgressions  of  the  wicked,  was  to  be  prevented  and 
annulled,  by  liberal  donations  to  God,  to  the  saints,  to  the 

*  MiUot's  History,  Vol.  IV.  P.  279. 
3 


18  A  Foundation  laid  for  Disputes, 

churches  and  clergy.  This  new  and  commodious  method 
of  making  atonement  for  iniquity,  was  the  principal  source 
of  those  immense  treasures,  uhich  from  this  period  began 
to  flow  in  upon  the  clergy,  the  churches,  and  monasteries, 
and  continued  to  enrich  them  through  succeeding  ages 
down  to  the  present  time. 

"  But  here  it  is  highly  worthy  of  observation,  that  the 
donations,  which  princes  and  persons  of  the  first  rank  pre- 
sented, in  order  to  make  expiation  for  their  sins,  and  to 
satisfy  the  justice  of  God,  and  the  demands  of  the  clergy, 
did  not  only  consist  in  those  private  possessions,  which 
every  citizen  may  enjoy,  and  with  which  the  churches  and 
convents  were  already  abundantly  enriched  ;  no  :  these 
donations  were  carried  to  a  much  more  extravagant  length, 
and  the  church  was  endowed  with  several  of  those  public 
grants,  which  are  peculiar  to  princes  and  sovereign  states, 
and  which  are  commonly  called  regalia  or  royal  domains. 
Emperours,  kings,  and  princes,  signalized  theu"  supersti- 
tious veneration  for  the  clergy,  by  investing  bishops, 
churches,  and  monasteries,  in  the  possession  of  whole 
provinces,  cities,  castles,  and  fortresses,  with  all  the  rights 
and  prerogatives  of  sovereignty  that  v»ere  annexed  to  them 
under  the  dominion  of  their  former  masters.  Hence  it  came 
to  pass  that  they,  who,  by  their  holy  profession,  were  appoint- 
ed to  proclaim  to  the  world  the  vanity  of  human  grand- 
eur, and  to  inspire  into  the  minds  of  men,  by  their  instruc- 
tions and  their  example,  a  noble  contempt  of  subhmary 
things,  became  themselves  scandalous  spectacles  of  world- 
ly pomp,  ambition,  and  splendour;  were  cxQAicd  dukes ^ 
counts,  3.nd  marquises,  judges,  legislators,  and  sovereigns; 
and  not  only  gave  laws  to  nations,  but,  also,  upon  many  oc- 
casions, gave  battle  to  their  enemies  at  the  head  of  nume- 
rous armies  of  their  own  raising.  It  is  here  that  we  are  to 
look  for  the  source  of  those  dreadful  tumults  and  calami- 
ties, that  spread  desolation  through  Europe  in  after-times, 
particularly  of  those  bloody  wars  concerning  i?j-vestitures,  and 
those  obstinate  contentions  and  disputesabout  the  regalia. ^^^' 

The  domains  which  were  bequeathed  by  princes  to  the 
Holy  See,  were  afterwards  claimed  by  their  successors, 
and  by  this  means  a  foundation  was  laid  for  perpetual 
quarrels  between  the  popes  and  many  of  the  European 
sovereigns, 

*  Moshelm,  voL  II.  p.  21&- 


Fretemions  of  Gregory  FIL . . .  Influence  of  the  Pope.     1 9 

The  pontificate  was  elevated  to  its  highest  pitch  of 
worldly  giandeur  in  the  eleventh  century,  and  the  Man  of 
Sin  appeared  to  have  attained  the  sunnnit  of  arrogance 
and  blasphemy  in  the  person  of  Gregory  VII.  This  pope 
was  a  monk  before  he  was  elevated  to  tlie  papal  chair. 
His  name  was  Hildebrand  ;  Firebrand^  he  might  more 
properly  be  called.  He  assumed  not  only  the  appellation 
of  Universal  Bishop,  but  also  those  of  Sovereign  Pontiff, 
Christ's  Vicar,  Prince  of  the  Apostles,  God  on  earth. 
Lord  God  the  Pope,  His  Holiness,  King  of  kings  and 
Lord  of  lords.  Prince  over  all  nations  and  kingdoms,  The 
Most  Holy  and  Most  Blessed,  Master  of  the  Universal 
World,  Father  of  Kings,  Light  of  the  World,  Most  High 
and  Sovereign  Bishop,  &c.  &c.* 

Gregory  VII.  was  undoubtedly  the  most  audacious 
pope  that  ever  sat  on  St.  Peter's  throne,  and  his  whole 
pontificate  was  a  continual  scene  of  tumult  and  bloodshed. 
He  impiously  attempted  to  submit  to  his  jurisdiction  the 
emperours,  kings,  and  princes  of  the  earth,  and  to  render 
their  dominions  tributary  to  the  See  of  Rome.  He  de- 
throned the  emperour  Henry  IV.  and  then  excommuni- 
cated him  from  the  church,  and  obliged  him  to  stand  three 
days  barefoot  before  the  gates  of  Canosa  on  the  Appinees, 
where  he  was  regaling  himself  with  his  mistress  Matilda, 
before  he  would  grant  him  absolution. 

This  was  the  first  instance  of  a  prince  being  deposed 
by  the  pope  ;  but  this  served  as  a  precedent  for  many 
others,  which  the  limits  of  this  sketch  will  not  permit  us 
to  name. 

It  may  seem  altogether  incredible  now,  to  those  who 
have  not  studied  the  history  of  ancient  times,  that  emper« 
ours,  kings,  and  princes,  should  be  hurled  from  their 
thrones,  and  disrobed  of  the  functions  of  royalty,  by  the 
anathemas  of  the  pretended  vicar  of  Christ.  What  regard 
would  the  sovereigns  of  Europe  now  pay  to  the  denuncia- 
tions of  Pius  VII.  ?  But  the  case  was  far  different  when 
Antichrist  was  reigning  in  the  meridian  of  his  strength. 
Then  all  the  world  w-ere  wondering  after  the  beast,  and 
the  voice  of  St.  Peter,  by  his  pretended  vicegerent  on 
earth,  was  regarded  as  the  voice  of  God.  Sovereigns 
might  spurn  at  the  thunders  of  the  Vatican,  but  their  su!> 

*  Trial  of  Antichrist,  p.  41. 


20  The  Pope's  Emissaries, 

jects  regarded  them  as  the  mandates  of  Heaven ;  kingdoms 
were  soon  filled  with  rebellion  ;  the  lives  of  princes  were 
in  danger  from  those  about  them  ;  for  the  bulls  of  his  Ho- 
liness must  be  obeyed  ;  kingdoms  were  laid  under  inter- 
dicts ;  every  thing  was  thrown  into  confusion,  and  in 
th'se  dreadful  circumstances,  the  proud,  imperious  prin- 
ces of  the  earth,  were  reduced  to  the  humbling  necessity 
of  bowing  to  the  feet  of  St.  Peter's  successor,  and  becom- 
ing reconciled  in  the  best  manner  they  could  to  their  spir- 
itual master.  And  having  gained  the  friendship  of  his 
Holiness,  their  subjects  returned  to  their  allegiance,  and 
their  kingdoms  were  restored  to  order.  It  was,  however, 
certainly  unfair  for  the  popes  to  interpose  the  charms  of 
their  spiritual  influence,  in  their  quarrels  with  princes 
about  worldly  things. 

The  pope  was  surrounded  by  ten  thousand  satellites, 
all  receiving  their  light,  or  rather  their  darkness  from  him. 
But  above  them  all,  were  seventy-two  cardinals,  by  whom 
he  \^as  elected.  Armies  of  monks  and  ministers  stood 
ready  to  obey  his  summons,  and  were  dispersed  in  every 
country  to  execute  his  high  commands.  These  emissaries 
were  constantly  employed  in  the  affairs  of  princes,  in  the  in- 
trigues of  courts,  and  many  of  them  were  elevated  to  the 
highest  summit  of  worldly  grandeur. 

•'  Cardinal  Ruixoga,  archbishop  of  Toledo,  in  Spain, 
had,  under  his  command  in  1764,  the  chapters  of  an  hun- 
dred and  eight  cathedrals,  the  members  of  three  hundred 
and  twelve  colleges,  the  governors  and  officers  of  two  thou- 
sand and  eight  hospitals,  the  parish  priests  of  more  than 
twenty  one  thousand  cities,  towns  and  villages,  the  officers 
of  all  the  courts  of  inquisition,  and  of  the  chancery  of  Cas- 
tile, &c.  But  this  great  man  was  nothing  but  a  tool  of 
the  pope.'^' 

It  would  make  too  many  heads  to  consider  separately 
every  article  which  it  may  be  proper  to  notice.  We  shall, 
therefore,  throw  together,  in  as  much  order  as  can  be  done, 
some  of  the  most  striking  events  which  have  occurred  in 
this  astonishing  body  of  professing  christians. 

The  church  of  Rome  for  many  centuries  prevailed  gen- 
erally throughout  most  of  the  European  kingdoms,  and 

•  Jlobinson's  Ecclesiastical  Researches,  p.  20?, 


Monastick  Orders. . . .  Conduct  of  the  ■  Monks.         2 1 

its  emissaries  also  made  large  conquests  in  many  remoter 
regions  ;  and  this  corrupt  and  idolatrous  communion  is 
now  thought  to  embrace  not  far  from  a  hundred  million  of 
souls.  The  religious  orders  of  priests,  monks,  nuns, 
friars,  and  so  on,  form  an  innumerable  company  of  lazy, 
ambitious,  and  unprofitable  beings. 

The  history  of  the  rnonastick  orders  would,  of  itself, 
make  a  voluminous  work  ;  but  it  is  sufficient  to  observe 
that  they  began  in  early  times,  in  a  mistaken  manner  of 
weaning  the  mind  from  sublunary  things.  The  first 
monks  were  merely  religious  hermits,  who,  in  the  third 
century  retired  to  the  solitary  deserts  of  Egj'pt,  both  to 
avoid  persecution,  and  to  enjoy  religious  repose.  In  the 
persecution  under  Decius,  one  Paul  fled  to  the  deserts  of 
Thebais,  where  he  spent  ninety  years  in  religious  solitnde. 
This  kind  of  hermitage  becoming  popular,  thousands  fled 
to  the  wilderness  when  they  might  have  remained  in  socie- 
ty. At  first  they  lived  a  vagrant  life,  and  were  scattered 
throughout  the  deserts  ;  but  in  the  fourth  century  one 
Anthony  began  to  form  them  into  societies,  and  from 
hence-forward  they  erected  habitations,  which  were  called 
monasteries,  and  every  thing  was  regulated  by  laws  punc- 
tilious and  absurd.  From  the  east  the  monks  came 
swarming  into  the  west,  and  finally  overspread  the  chris- 
tian world.  From  the  monastick  orders  were  elected 
most  of  the  cardinals,  popes,  legates,  and  other  dignified 
ecclesiasticks  in  the  church  of  Rome. 

As  so  many  of  the  brethren  had  taken  it  upon  them  to 
live  a  single  life,  a  corresponding  number  of  sisters,  find- 
ing they  must  live  alone,  took  upon  them  the  vows  of 
chastity,  were  called  nuns,  and  were  collected  in  habita- 
tions called  nunneries.  And  so  great  v;as  the  rage  for  re- 
tirement, that  in  many  countries,  a  large  portion  of  the  in- 
habitants were  associated  in  these  irrational  and  sanctimo- 
nious communities.  But  the  monks  and  nuns,  although 
under  vows  of  perpetual  chastity,  did  not  always  keep 
apart,  and  many  shocking  things  are  related  of  the  horrid 
measures  which  they  took  to  conceal  their  iniquity,  and 
dispose  of  the  fruits  of  their  infamous  commerce. 

The  celibacy  of  the  clergy  was  a  practice  early  intro- 
duced in  the  church  of  Rome.  "  Marriage  was  at  first 
perrnitted  to  all  the  various  ranks  and  orders  of  the  clergy, 


22       Celibacy  of  the  Clergy..., Source  of  Debaucheries. 

high  and  low.  Those,  however,  who  continued  in  a 
state  of  celibacy,  obtained  by  this  abstinence  a  higher  rep- 
utation of  sanctity  and  virtue  than  others."*  But  Paul 
foretold  that  in  the  reign  of  Antichrist  marriage  would  be 
forbidden,  and  accordingly,  in  due  time,  the  celibacy  of 
the  clergy  uas  enjoined  by  law.  This  law  was,  however, 
never  carried  into  general  effect.  Some  took  wives  in  a 
lawful  manner  and  lived  like  other  men,  and  the  answer 
which  some  of  the  clergy  in  France  made  to  the  legate 
of  Gregory  VII.  is  full  of  humour  and  spirit.  Gregory  for- 
bid the  people  to  hear  mass  from  the  married  priests,  and 
gave  orders  that  celibacy  should  be  religiously  observed. 
The  priests  utterly  refused  to  obey  this  command,  and 
*'  if  the  pope  persists  in  it,''"'  added  they,  "tut?  will  rather 
renounce  our  priesthood  than  our  wives,  and  he  may  find 
angels  to go'oern  Ins   churches.''''^ 

This  clerical  celibacy  was  no  friend  to  virtue,  but  it 
was,  on  the  other  hand,  the  means  of  a  torrent  of  lascivious- 
pess,  debaucheries,  and  crimes.  Un cleanness  prevail- 
ed, not  among  all,  but  among  every  order  of  these  holy 
men,  who  pretended  to  live  like  angels  upon  earth.  Ma- 
ny of  the  popes  were  the  illegitimate  children  of  popes 
who  had  gone  before  them.  Henry,  bishop  of  Leige,  in 
the  eleventh  century,  boasted  in  publick,  that  he  had  been 
the  parent  of  fourteen  children,  within  two  and  twenty 
months.  Pope  Gregory  VII.  reproved  this  bishop  for 
squandering  the  revenues  of  the  church  on  his  bastard 
children,  but  he  did  not  depose  him  from  his  holy  office. 
It  is  not  strange  that  Gregory  was  so  indulgent  to  this  am> 
orous  bishop,  as  he  was  himself  then  carrying  on  a 
scandalous  amour  with  Matilda,  the  countess  of  Tuscany, 
by  which  he  obtained  a  vast  estate  for  the  Holy  See. 
*'  Illiterate  prelates  habited  in  purple  robes,  converted 
nunneries  into  stews,  and  had  parks  for  seraglios.  Some 
few  pacified  their  scruples  by  private  marriage,  but  by  far 
the  greater  part  either  committed  fornication  and  adultery 
promiscuously,  or  kept  mistresses  whom  they  called  vice- 
wives.  It  must  not  be  understood  that  all  were  sunk  to 
this  deplorable  state  of  wretchedness  and  vice.  There 
were  sober  bishops,  who  looked  with  grief  and  shame,  on 
the  infamous  conduct  of  their  clergy,   and  tried  to  resist 

*  Mosheim,  vol,  1.  p.  262.  ■{■  Millot's  History,  vol.  III.  p.  Vl. 


The  Origin  of  Councils.  23 

the  torrent  of  concupiscence,  with  which  their  diocesses 
were  overwhelmed.  But  their  headstrong  clergy  paid  no 
attention  to  their  remonstrances.  Incontinence  v.a^  a  tide 
which  could  not  be  stopped,  and  the  first  council  of  Tole- 
do, to  their  shame,  rather  than  permit  the  clergy  to  marry, 
made  a  law  to  allow  them  concubines.-^  So  blind  and 
invincible  is  superstition,  when  established  by  custom  and 
la\vs. 

Councils. 

The  custom  of  holding  councils,  according  to  Mosheim, 
commenced  in  Greece  in  the  second  century.  They  were, 
by  the  Greeks,  called  synods.  Councils  were,  at  first, 
mere  provincial  assemblies,  collected  together  for  the 
purpose  of  regulating  the  affairs  of  particular  districts  ; 
but  they  soon  ^rose  to  the  most  august  and  powerful  as- 
semblies, and  assumed  the  supreme  command  of  the 
whole  catholick  world. 

The  popes  frequently  attended  councils  in  person,  and 
at  other  times,  they  were  represented  by  their  legates  and 
nuncios.  Some  of  them  were  called  by  the  pontiffs,  at 
other  times,  they  were  afraid  of  their  power,  and  tried  to 
hinder  their  meeting,  or  dissolved  them  when  assembled. 

The  first  general  council  was  held  at  Nice,  in  Bythinia, 
in  325,  wherein  the  deputies  of  the  church  universal  were 
summoned  by  the  emperour  Constantine,  to  put  an  end  to 
the  Arian  controversy,  which  then  began  to  rage  extensive- 
ly. At  this  council  upwards  of  three  hundred  bishops  were 
assembled  ;  it  held  about  a  year.  Some  of  the  catholick 
councils  sat  many  years,  and  assembled  a  standing  army 
of  bishops  and  ecclesiasticks,  who  stood  ready  to  suppress 
every  heretical  whisper. 

The  council  of  Placentia,  was  the  most  numerous  of 
any  that  had  been  hitherto  assembled,  and  was,  on  that 
account,  held  in  the  open  fields.  There  were  present  at 
it,  two  hundred  bishops,  four  thousand  ecclesiasticks,  and 
three  hundred  thousand  laymen. f 

The  council  of  Constance  was  begun  in  1414,  and  was 
held  four  years.  It  was  opened  by  pope  John  XXIII. 
and  was  ended  by  Martin  V.  At  this  council  were  as- 
sembled, (says  Millot)  a  prodigious  number  of  crirdinals. 

•  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  311,  f  Mosheim,  vol.  11.  p,42?. 


24  The  Council  of  Trent. 

prelates,  ar.d  doctors  ;  above  a  hundred  sovereign  princes 
of  Germany,  with  the  empcrour  at  their  head  ;  twenty- sev- 
en ambassadours,  and  innumerable  deputies  from  all  the  dif- 
ferent states  and  communities  of  Europe,  and  among  the 
rest  a  crowd  of  minstrels,  courtesans,  &c.  All  Europe 
was  in  commotion  about  this  council  ;  it  was  summoned 
at  the  instance  of  the  emperour  Sigismond,  for  the  purpose 
of  reforming  the  church,  and  checking  the  ambition  of 
the  pontiffs. 

The  papal  chair,  at  this  time,  was  deputed  by  three 
ambitious  rivals,  who  had  assumed  the  names  of  John 
XXIII.  Gregory  XII.  and  Benedict  XIII.  But  during 
the  sitting  of  the  Council,  all  the  rival  popes  were  depos- 
ed, and  a  new  one  was  elected  by  the  name  of  Martin  V. 
John  had  been  a  corsair,  that  is  a  pirate,  in  his  youth  ;  a 
profession,  says  Millot,  more  suited  to  his  temper,  than  the 
functions  of  an  ecclesiastick  ;  iathe  habit  of  a  postillion, 
he  escaped  from  Constance,  to  avoid  the  vengeance  of  an 
enraged  populace.* 

The  famous  council  of  Trent  was  held  eighteen  \ears,  and 
during  the  lives  of  five  popes.  It  commenced  in  1545, 
some  time  after  the  reformation  was  begun  by  Luther.f 

The  resolutions  of  a  general  council,  as  well  as  the  de- 
cisions of  a  pope,  are,  by  the  Catholicks,  considered  equal 
to  scripture  commands  ;  but  it  is  an  unlucky  circumstance 
that  both  popes  and  councils  have  passed  decrees,  not  on- 
ly different  from,  but  in  direct  opposition  to  each  other. 

The  Romans  borrowed  councils  from  the  Greeks,  and 
Protestants  borrowed  them  from  the  Romans ;  and  Pres- 
byterian Synods  and  Congregational  conventions,  are  con- 
sidered by  some  as  vestiges  of  the  august  and  imposing 
councils  we  have  thus  briefly  described.  And,  indeed, 
the  meetings,  called  councils,  among  the  Baptists,  are 
thought  by  some  to  be  branches  of  the  same  corrupt  tree. 
1  know  not  what  Baptist  councils  may  arrive  to,  but  at 
present  they  are  certainly  very  harmless  things.  A  church 
calls  a  number  of  neighbouring  elders  and  brethren,  to 
irive  them  their  advice  in  matters  of  difficultv.      This  ad- 

*  Millet's  History,  vol.  IV.  p.  22.  This  account  is  given  by  a  zealous  Cath- 
olick,  wlio  does  not,  however,  hesitate  to  censure,  in  the  severest  terms,  the 
vices  and  enormities  of  his  own  community. 

f  Trent  was  the  rendezvous  for  prostitutes  from  every  quarter,  during^  the 
•".tting-  of  the  council.  Trial  of  Antichrist,  p.  139. 


Holy  Wars  promoted  by  Peter  the  Hermit.  25 

vice  is  often  received  and  proves  highly  beneficial  ;  but  it 
may  be  neglected,  as  it  often  is,  and  still  no  breach  of  fel- 
lowship, no  interruption  of  communion  between  the  advis- 
ers and  the  advised  is  occasioned  thereby.  But  it  must 
be  acknowledged  that  churches  founded  on  congregation- 
al and  independent  principles,  cannot  consistently  have 
much  business  for  councils,  and  I  think  the  fewer  there 
are  among  the  Baptists  the  better.  Our  churches  do  un- 
doubtedly sometimes  refer  difficulties  to  councils,  which 
they  might  easy  enough  settle  themselves. 

CRUSADES    OR    HOLY    WARS. 

In  the  eleventh  century  an  attempt  was  made  by  the 
ohurch  of  Rome,  to  recover  the  holy  land  from  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Mahometans,  and  incredible  numbers  volun- 
teered their  services  in  these  holy  expeditions.  But  al- 
most every  thing  under  the  name  of  religion,  v/as  at  this 
time  profligate  and  vile.  The  popes  of  Rome,  from  the 
time  of  Sylvester  II.  had  contemplated  the  holy  wars,  but 
the  troubles  of  Europe  long  prevented  the  execution  of 
their  arduous  designs.  Gregory  VII.  boasted  that  up- 
wards of  fifty  thousand  men  were  mustered  to  follow  him 
in  a  holy  war,  which  he  intended  to  conduct  in  person, 
but  was  prevented  by  his  quarrel  with  the  emperour  Henry 
IV.  At  length  the  long  premeditated  war  was  under- 
taken. A  monk  of  Picardy,  commonly  called  Peter  the 
Hermit,  at  his  return  from  Jerusalem  where  he  had  been 
on  pilgrimage,  represented  the  oppression  of  the  holy  city, 
and  the  cruel  treatment  which  the  christians  suffered,  in 
such  striking  colours,  that  Urban  II.  thought  proper  to 
set  both  kings  and  people  in  motion  to  recover  it.  This 
hermit  of  a  hideous  figure,  covered  with  rau;s,  walking 
barefoot,  speaking  as  a  prophet,  and  hearkened  to  as  such, 
inspired  the  people  every  where,  with  an  enthusiasm  sim- 
ilar to  his  ov/n.  He  went  throufjh  all  the  countries  of 
Europe  sounding  the  alarm  of  the  holy  war  against  the  in- 
fidel nations,  and  with  a  view  to  engage  the  superstitious 
and  ignorant  multitude  in  his  cause,  he  carried  with  him  a 
letter  w^iich  he  said  was  written  in  heaven,  and  addressed 
to  all  true  christians,  &:c.  Success  every  where  attended 
the  declamations  of  this  ragged  orator,  and  innumerable 
multitudes  of  all  ranks  and  orders  offered  themselves  as 

4 


26         Crusaders,  a  miserable  Rabble  of  Wretches. 

volunteers  in  the  sacred  expedition.  They  all  received 
from  the  pope  or  bishops  a  cross  of  red  stuff,  which  they 
wore  upon  their  shoulders,  and  hence  they  were  called 
crusaders,  or  cross- bearers,  and  the  expedition  was  also 
from  this  circumstance  denominated  a  crusade.  The  red 
cross  procured  a  dispensation  from  all  penance  ;  but, 
when  once  taken,  the  wearers  were  obliged  to  set  out  un- 
der pain  of  excommunication.  But  few,  however,  were 
inclined  to  draw  back,  for  they  never  doubted  that  the 
riches  of  Asia  would  recompense  them  a  hundred  fold  ; 
and  if  they  died  in  the  attempt,  they  were  sure  of  heaven 
as  the  reward  for  their  meritorious  services.  Cotemporary 
writers  make  the  number  of  the  first  crusaders  to  exceed 
six  millions  ;  but  the  best  authors  make  it  only  about  one 
million  and  a  quarter.  This  army,  says  Mosheim,  con- 
sisted of  a  motley  assemblage  of  monks,  prostitutes,  art- 
ists, labourers,  lazy  tradesmen,  meichants,  boys,  girls, 
slaves,  malefactors,  and  profligate  debauchees,  \\  ho  were 
animated  solely  by  the  prospect  ot  spoil  and  plunder,  and 
hoped  to  make  their  fortunes  by  this  holy  campaign. 
Eighty  thousand  of  this  miserable  rabble  set  out  under  the 
command  of  Peter  the  Hermit,  and  Walter  the  Needy. 
The  rest  followed  under  different  leaders.  They  com- 
mitted dreadful  ravages  in  passing  through  Europe,  aiid 
multitudes  perished  before  they  arrived  in  Asia.  We 
cannot  here  give  a  history  of  the  progress  of  this  mighty 
army  of  pilgrims,  but  it  is  sufficient  to  observe  that  but 
a  handful  of  them  lived  to  return. 

x\  second  crusade  was  preached  up  by  St.  Barnard,  the 
Abbot  of  Clairval,  whom  Mr.  Milner  has  tried  to-make 
out,  a  humble  and  holy  man.  He  is  represented  by  his- 
torians as  running  from  town  to  town,  performing  number- 
less miracles  to  promote  the  cause  of  the  holy  war.  The 
miracle  of  miracles^  according  to  him,  was  his  prevailing 
on  the  emperour  Conrad  HI.  to  take  upon  him  the  cross, 
which  he  was  not  inclined  to  do.  The  second  army  of 
cross-bearers  was  not  numbered,  but  it  was  immensely 
great.  It  was  led  on  by  the  emperour  Conrad,  and  most 
of  them  perished  in  the  expedition. 

Notwithstanding  these  unsuccessful  campaigns,  a  blind 
infatuation  prevailed,  and  a  third  crusade  ^vas  undertaken 


The  Popes  engross  the  Trade  of  Indulgencies.         27 

by  the  emperonr  Frederick  Barbarossa.     Richard  I.  king 
of  England  was  engaged  in  this  crusade. 

A  fourth  crusade  was  undertaken  by  Baldwin,  count  of 
Flanders ;  in  this  expedition  Constantinople  was  taken, 
which  was  then  inhabited  by  christians. 

After  this,  a  holy  war  was  proclaimed  in  France  against 
the  poor  innocent  Albigenses  ;  and  thousands  of  them  were 
slain  by  a  band  of  bloody  cross- bearers,  for  the  glory  of 
God,  and  the  good  of  the  church.  Multitudes  of  Bap- 
tists perished  in  this  bloody  scene,  as  w^e  shall  show  more 
fully  when  w  c  come  to  their  history. 

These  wars,  impiously  called  holy,  were  carried  on  in  the 
twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries;  diey  set  all  Europe  in 
commotion  ;  they  drained  kingdoms  of  their  inhabitants, 
and  filled  the  east  with  wretches,  rapine,  and  blood.  But 
we  can  pursue  their  history  no  fartlier.  From  the  cru- 
sades a  number  of  the  orders  of  knighthood  arose. 

INDULGENCIES. 

The  sale  of  indulgencies  was  one  of  the  most  impious 
and  infamous  kinds  of  traffick,  practised  by  the  church  of 
Rome.  The  bishops  had  long  made  a  trade  of  the 
vices  of  mankind ;  that  is,  they  compounded  with  trans- 
gressors, and  for  certain  sums  remitted  the  severe  pen- 
ances, which  they  had  been  sentenced  to  endure ;  and  sin- 
ners, especially  rich  ones,  finding  it  less  troublesome  to  pay 
their  money  than  to  repent  of  their  crimes,  the  bishops 
soon  established  a  gainful  trade.  Every  order  of  ecclesi- 
asticks  had  their  peculiar  modes  of  fleecing  the  people. 
The  monks  could  not  sell  pardons,  but  they  carried  about 
the  country  the  relicks  of  the  saints,  and  permitted  the  de- 
luded multitude  to  see,  touch,  and  embrace  them,  at  cer- 
tain fixed  prices.  And  thus  the  monastick  orders  gained 
as  much  by  this  rare-show,  as  the  bishops  did  by  their  in- 
dulgencies.* 

But  at  length  the  popes  engrossed  this  profitable  traffick 
to  themselves  ;  and  Leo  X.  who  afterwards  hurled  his 
thunderbolts  against  Martin  Luther,  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
plenishing his  exhausted  coffers,  employed  certain  monks 
to  travel  abroad,  to  promote  the  sale  of  indulgencies, 

•  Mosheim,  vol.  III.  p.  81, 


28  Supererogation, 

Among  these  detestable  characters  none  acted  a  more 
eonspicuoLis  part,  than  a  Dominican  friar,  named  John 
Tetzel.  He  travelled  through  Germany,  proclaiming  the 
pardons  of  the  pope,  promising  to  sinners  of  every  descrip- 
tion, for  fixed  prices,  a  full  remission  of  all  sins  past,  pres- 
ent, and  future.  In  describing  the  efficacy  of  indulgencies, 
he,  among  other  horrid  expressions,  declared  that,  ifa7iy 
one  had  devoured  the  mother  of  God,  he  had  power  from 
the  pope  to  efface  his  guilt.  He  further  boasted  that  he 
had  saved  more  souls  from  hell  by  these  Indulgencies,  than 
St.  Peter  had  converted  to  Christianity  by  his  preach- 
ing. * 

SUPEREROGATION'. 

Cardinal  Cajetan  declared  ihztone  drop  of  Chrises  blood 
^ivas  siifficiejit  to  redeem  the  ivhole  ivorld^    a7id  that  the  re- 
mainijig  quantity,  that  luas  shed  in  the  garden  and  on  the 
cross,  was  left  as  a  legacy  to  the  c/iurch,  to  be  disposed  of 
by  his  liice-gerent  on  earth.\ 

The  doctrine  of  supererogation  had  been  invented  long 
before  this  time.  This  doctrine  Vvas  founded  upon  the 
false  supposition,  that  the  superabundant  good  deeds  of 
the  saints,  had  procured  a  boundless  treasure  of  merit, 
whicli  might,  by  the  pope,  be  applied  to  the  benefit  of 
others . 

The  preaching  of  Indulgencies  in  Germany,  opened  the 
eyes  of  many,  roused  the  zeal  of  Luther,  and  the  reforma- 
tion in  the  sixteenth  century  immediately  succeeded.  J 

*  The  pardon-mongers  collected  immense  sums  from  every  nation  they 
were  sent  to,  as  appears  by  one  friar  Samson,  who  collected  120,000  crowns 
among  the  Swiss  only.  Trial  of  Antichrist,  p. lo9. 

f  Trial  of  Antichrist,  p.  21. 

\  In  the  Eecoiid  volume  of  Saurin's  sermons,  Mr.  Robinson,  the  translator, 
has  inserted  an  extract  from  the  tax-book  of  the  Roman  Chancery.  There 
we  meet  w  ith  such  articles  as  lliese  : 

"Absolution  for  kiUing'  one's  father  or  mother,    1  ducat,  5  carlins. 

Ditto  for  all  the  acts  of  lewdness  committed  by  a  clerk,  with  a  dispensation 
to  be  capable  of  taking  orders,  and  to  hold  ecclesiastical  benefits,  &.c.  36 
tournois,  3  ducats. 

Ditto  for  one  who  shall  keep  a  concubine,  with  a  dispensation  to  take  or- 
ders, &c.     21  tournois,  5  ducats,  9  carlins. 

As  if  this  trafhck  were  not  scandalous  enough  of  itself,  it  is  added,  Take 
■notice  particularly,  that  such  graces  and  dispensations  are  not  granted  to  the 
poor  ;  for  not  hiiving  wherewith  to  pay,  they  cannot  be  comforted. 

The  zeal  of  the  reformers  against  the  church  of  Rome  ceaseth  to  appear 
Jntf  niperatc  in  my  eye,  when  I  conjoider  these  detestable  enormities." 


Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomews,  29 

Some  Account  of  the  Persecutions  ivhich  hai^e  been  carried 
on  by  the  Church  of  Rome. 

This  church,  among  other  enormities,  is  covered  with 
the  blood  of  saints,  which  is  crying  for  vengeance  on  its 
polluted  head.  The  murders  and  cruelties  of  which  this 
bloody  community  has  been  guilty,  cau  be  but  briefly- 
touched  upon  here  ;  but  it  is  supposed,  if  1  mistake  not, 
that  three  millions  of  lives  have  been  sacrificed  to  the  per- 
secuting rage  of  the  papal  power.  Among  these,  upwards 
of  a  million  were  of  the  people  called  Waldenses  or  Al- 
bigenses. 

On  the  fatal  night  of  St.  Bartholomews,  August  24, 
1572,  about  seventy  thousand  persons  were  murdered  in 
Paris,  in  the  most  barbarous  manner,  by  the  influence  of 
the  pope,  and  by  the  instrumentality  of  the  bloodthirsty 
Charles  IX.  Within  thirty  years,  there  were  murdered 
in  France  39  princes,  148  counts,  234  barons,  147,518 
gentlemen,  and  760,000  persons  of  inferiour  rank  in  life, 
but  whose  blood  equally  called  ft^r  justice.  Three  hun- 
dred thousand  of  these  were  murdered  in  a  few  years,  by 
that  furious  catholick,  Charles  IX. ^ 

The  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomews  happened  in  the 
following  manner  ;  a  match  was  concluded  between  Hen- 
ry, (afterwards  Henry  IV.)  the  young  king  of  Navarre, 
a  protestant,  and  the  French  King's  sister.  The  heads  of 
the  protestants  were  invited  to  celebrate  the  nuptials  at 
Paris,  with  the  infernal  view  of  butchering  them  all,  if 
possible,  in  one  night.  This  horrid  scene  is  thus  describ- 
ed by  the  author  of  the  Tiial  of  Antichrist  ;  "  Exactly 
at  midnight  on  the  eve  of  St.  Bartholomews,  (so  called) 
1572,  the  alarm  bell  was  rung  in  the  Palais  Ro)  ale,  as  the 
signal  of  death.  About  five  hundred  protestant  barons, 
knights  and  gentlemen,  who  had  come  from  all  patts  to 
honour  the  wedding,  were,  among  the  rest,  barbarously 
butchered  in  their  beds.  The  gentlemen,  oflicers  of  the 
chamber,  governours,  tutors,  and  household  servants  of 
the  king  of  Navarre,  and  prince  of  Conde,  were  driven 
out  of  the  chambers  where  they  slept  in  the  Louvre,  and 
being  in  the  court,  were  massacred  in  the  king's  presence. 

*  Many  of  the  Waldenses  and  Albigenses  are  included  in  this  number. 


so  Massacre  of  Ireland  and  other  Places. 

The  slaughter  was  now  general  throughout  the  city,  and 
as  Thuanus  writes,  *'  that  the  very  channels  ran  down 
with  blood  into  the  river."  This  was,  however,  magnifi- 
ed as  a  glorious  action,  and  the  king,  who  was  one  of  the 
most  active  murderers,  boasted  that  he  had  put  70,000 
heret'icks  to  death.  I  might  quote  the  words  of  a  French 
author,  w  ho  u  rote  the  history  of  France,  from  the  reign  of 
Hei^ry  II.  to  Henry  IV.  and  say,  "  How  strange  and  hor- 
rible a  thing  it  was,  in  a  great  town,  to  see  at  least  60,000 
men  with  pistols,  pikes,  cutlasses,  poniards,  knives,  and 
other  bloody  instruments,  run,  swearing  and  blasphem- 
ing the  sacred  Majesty  of  God,  through  the  streets  and 
into  houses,  where  most  cruelly  they  massacred  all, 
whomsoever  they  met,  x^ithout  regard  of  estate,  condition, 
sex,  or  age.  The  streets  paved  with  bodies  cut  and  hew- 
ed to  pieces  ;  the  gates  and  entries  of  houses,  palaces, 
and  public  places,  dyed  with  blood.  Shouting  and  hal- 
looings  ol  the  murderers,  mixed  with  continual  noise  of 
pistols  and  calivers  discharged  ;  the  pitiful  cries  and 
shrieks  of  those  that  were  murdering.  Slain  bodies  cast 
out  of  the  windows  upon  the  stones,  and  drawn  through 
the  dirt.  Strange  noise  of  whistlings,  breaking  of  doors 
and  windows  with  bills  and  stones.  The  spoiling  and 
sacking  of  houses.  Carts,  some  carrying  away  the  spoils, 
and  others  the  dead  bodies,  which  were  thrown  into  the 
river  Seine,  all  now  red  with  blood,  which  ran  out  of  the 
town  and  from  the  king's  palace."  While  the  horrid  scene 
was  transacting,  many  priests  ran  about  the  city,  with  cru- 
cifixes in  one  hand  and  daggers  in  the  other,  to  encourage 
the  slaughter."* 

In  the  short  reign  of  the  ever  to  be  execrated  popish 
Mary,  queen  of  England,  there  were  burnt  in  that  king- 
dom, one  archbishop,  four  bishops,  twenty-one  preachers, 
eight  gentlemen,  eighty-four  artificers,  a  hundred  hus- 
bandmen and  labourers,  twenty-six  wives,  twenty  widows, 
nine  unmarried  women,  two  boys  and  two  infants. 

Forty  thousand  perished  in  the  Irish  massacre,  in  1641. 

In  a  very  short  time,  there  were  hanged,  burned,  buried 
alive,  and  beheaded,  50,000  persons  in  the  Netherlands. 

•  Trial  of  Antichrist,  p.  134"S. 


The  Greek  Church,  31 

The  single  order  of  Jesuits  alone  are  computed,  in  the 
space  of  thirty  or  forty  years,  to  have  put  to  death  900,000 
christians,  who  deserted  from  popery.  And  the  Inquisi- 
tion, the  bloody  instrument  of  papal  vengeance,  in  the 
space  of  about  thirty  years,  destroyed,  by  various  torture, 
150,000.* 

We  shall  now  take  leave  of  this  corrupt  and  bloody 
church.  It  has  evidently  been  declining  between  two  and 
three  hundred  years.  The  pope,  its  once  furious  and 
powerful  head,  is  now  reduced  to  a  state  of  humiliation 
and  dependence.  But  the  instrument  of  his  reduction  has 
become  so  unpopular,  that  christians  generally  do  not  ap- 
pear to  regard  with  much  interest,  the  astonishing  change 
of  circumstances  in  this  troubler  of  nations,  and  blood- 
tliirsty  enemy  of  the  church  of  God.f 

THE    GREEK    CHURCH. 

This  name  is  given  to  a  very  large  body  of  christians, 
who  reside  in  the  east.  The  Greek  church  is  said  to  be 
as  large  or  larger  than  the  Roman,  and  is  probably  as 
much  loaded  with  unnecessary  ceremonies  ;  but  it  is  not 
sunk  so  deep  in  absurdity  and  blood. 

The  history  of  the  Greek  church  is  covered  with  obscu- 
rity, and  but  a  very  brief  view  of  it  can  be  given  here. 
Multitudes  of  the  first  converts  to  Christianity  resided 
where  were  once  the  ancient  republicks  of  Greece,  and 
spake  the  Greek  language,  in  which  the  New- Testament 
was  written. 

•  Trial  of  Antichrist  throughout. 

\  Notwithstanding  the  cruelties  and  abominations  of  the  church  of  Rome, 
it  is  charitably  hoped  that  amongst  the  millions  of  this  community,  there 
always  Iiave  been  many  humble  and  pious  souls  ;  but  I  cannot  gain  the  least 
evidence,  that  any  one  of  the  popes  was  acquainted  with  tlie  power  of  godli- 
ness, and  many  wonder  that  any  real  christian  should  remain  in  a  church  so 
superstitious  and  vile.  But  we  can  have  but  a  faint  view  now  of  the  darkness 
in  which  all  were  involved,  and  of  the  danger  to  which  dissenters  were  ex- 
posed. All  who  dissented  from  popery  were  denounced  hereticks,  and  the 
thunder  of  excommunication  fcilovved  them,  and  they  were  immediately  ex- 
•luded  from  all  civil  rights.  Hereticks  could  make  no  wills,  nor  acquire  any 
thing  by  the  testaments  of  others.  They  could  not  be  admitted  to  any  digni- 
ties, offices,  or  communities.  They  could  not  avail  themselves  of  any  courts, 
or  derive  any  benefits  from  laws.  Their  frie-nds  could  not  obtain  decent  buri- 
al for  them.  Tliey  were  exposed  to  popular  contempt  and  hatred  ;  in  some 
cases  to  banishment,  in  others  to  imprisonment,  confiscation  of  property  and 
ijfnominious  deaths.  jRobinson^s  Ecclesiastical  Researches,  p.  144. 


32  Separation  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  Churches. 

Consiantine,  the  Roman  emperour,  soon  after  he  had  em- 
braced  Christianity,  removed  the  seat  of  empire  from  Rome, 
in  Italy,  to  Byzantium,  in  Thrace,  and  having  enlarged, 
enriched,  and  adorned  it,  solemnly  conferred  on  it  his  own. 
name,  and  called  it  Constantinople,  that  is,  Constantine's 
city.  It  still  remains  one  of  the  most  magnificent  cities  of 
the  east,  and  is  now  ihe  seat  of  the  Turkish  emperour. 

Eusebius  was  the  bishop  of  Constantinople  in  the  time 
of  Constantine,  while  Sylvester  was  bishop  of  Rome.  As 
the  new  metropolis  arose  in  grandeur,  its  bishop  experienc- 
ed a  proportionable  increase  of  dignity  and  opulence,  and 
the  bishop  of  Rome  soon  found  in  him  an  ambitious  and 
powerful  rival.  These  two  imperial  bishops  struggled 
hard  for  dominion  ;  each  claim(.d  the  whole,  secured  what 
they  could  gain,  and  in  the  end  divided  the  command  of 
all  the  churches  in  Christendom,  or  at  least  of  those  who 
would  submit  to  their  authority. 

The  bishop  of  Rome  took  the  name  of  Pope,  from  the 
Greek  word  papas^  which  signifies y^r/z(?r  ;  the  bishop  of 
Constantinople  assumed  the  Old-Testament  title  of  Patri- 
arch, and  by  this  appellation  he  is  yet  distinguished.  The 
struggles  between  the  Roman  pontiff  and  the  Grecian  pa- 
triarch, for  preeminence  and  power,  were  long  and  obsti- 
nate ;  both  claimed  the  title  of  Universal  Bishop,  which 
was  finally  conferred  on  the  pope,  in  606,  by  the  emperour 
Phocas,  and  thenceforward  the  bishop  of  Rome  arose  su- 
periour  to  his  rival  in  dignity  and  crimes. 

Constantinople  and  a  considerable  part  of  the  ancient 
dominions  of  the  Greek  church,  has,  for  a  number  of  cen- 
turies, been  in  possession  of  the  Mahometans,  and  the  pa- 
triarch himself  exercises  the  high  functions  of  his  office, 
merely  by  the  toleration  of  the  disciples  of  the  prophet  of 
Mecca. 

The  bishops  of  Rome  and  Constantinople  continued 
their  rivalship,  and  reciprocal  accusations,  without  com- 
ing to  an  open  rupture,  until  the  eleventh  century.  Then 
a  war  of  anathemas  commenced  ;  they  hurled  their  thun- 
derbolts at  each  other,  and  a  total  separation  took  place 
between  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches,  which,  notwith- 
standing the  soothing  a'tifices  of  the  popes  and  Jesuits, 
has  never  been  healed . 


Russia,  a  Branch  of  the  Greek  Church.  33 

Besides  the  patriarch  already  mentioned,  there  are  three 
other  Grecian  bishops,  distinguished  by  this  higli  appel- 
lation. They  reside  at  Jerusalem,  Antioch,  and  Alexan- 
dria. But  the  patriarch  of  Constantinople  is  the  head  of 
the  Greek  church  ;  all  the  other  patriarchs,  and  all  the 
Episcopal  dignitaries  are  nominated  by  him. 

The  government  of  the  Greek  church  is  reputed  a  mild, 
aristocracy.  The  patriarch  of  Constantinople  is  elected 
by  twelve  bishops,  who  reside  nearest  that  famous  capital ; 
but  the  right  of  confirming  his  election,  as  well  as  of  the 
other  patriarchs,  belongs  only  to  the  Turkish  emperour. 
After  the  patriarch  is  elected,  he  is  presented  to  the  Sultan 
with  a  handsome  fee.  The  Sultan's  approbation  runs  in 
some  such  style  as  this  ;  "  I  command  such  an  one  to 
go  and  reside  as  bishop,  &c.  according  to  the  ancient  cus- 
tom and  idle  ceremonies  of  those  people."  The  patri- 
archs of  Alexandria  have  always  avoided  this  submission 
to  the  Mahometan  Sovereign.  The  rest  yield  to  it  ;  and 
on  these  terms  more  than  two  hundred  thousand  christian 
Greeks  reside  unmolested  in  Constantinople. 

One  of  the  largest  branches  of  the  Greek  church  is  in 
Russia  ;  the  millions  of  that  empire  are  included  in  this 
extensive  community,  and  are  under  the  superintendence 
of  the  powerful  patriarch  of  Constantinople. 

Some  further  account  of  the  Greek  church,  of  its  boun- 
daries, &,c.  and  also  of  the  Oriental  churches,  will  be  giv- 
en in  the  succeeding  chapter. 

The  Greek  church  has  never  carried  persecution  to  any 
great  extent ;  this  may  be  owing  to  the  mildness  of  its  spir- 
it,  but  probably  more  to  its  external  circumstances,  for  it 
has,  for  many  ages,  been  hemmed  in,  and  restrained  by 
the  Mahometan  powers. 

Thus  we  see  that  the  Greek  and  Roman  churches 
have  always  embraced  t>y  far  the  greatest  part  of  what  is 
called  the  christian  world.  In  these  two  great  establish- 
ments, there  are  probably  contained  one  fifth,  and  perhaps 
one  fourth  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  globe.  In  these  ex- 
tensive communities  we  find  popes,  patriarchs,  bishops, 
archbishops,  rites  and  ceremonies  in  abundance  ;  but  the 
humble  followers  of  Jesus  have   s]i;enerallv  been  found  in 

CD  w 

every  age,  among  those  who  have  dissented  from  them. 

VOL.    I.  .5 


34    Euchites  and  Waldenses,  similar  to  Nonconformists. 

The  dissenting  sects,  both  in  the  Greek  and  Latin 
churches,  have  been  numerous  ;  some  were  doubtless 
wild  and  fantastick,  others  were  humble  and  devout  ;  but 
they  have  all  been  branded  with  the  odious  name  of  here- 
ticks,  thrown  by  historians  into  one  common  mass  of  re- 
fuse, and  devoted  to  infamy  here  and  misery  hereafter. 
This  vast  pile  of  heretical  lumber  has  been  rummaged 
over  by  every  protestant  sect,  in  search  of  their  sentiment- 
al relatives  and  friends.  All  have  succeeded  in  titeir  own 
estimation,  and  the  success  which  the  Baptists  have  had 
^^  ill  be  related  when  we  come  to  speak  of  our  brethren  in 
foreign  countries  and  ancient  times. 

Before  we  leave  this  subject,  it  may  be  proper  just  to 
observe,  thaf  there  was  a  large  body  of  dissenters  among 
the  Greeks,  called  by  the  general  name  of  Massalians  and 
Euchites,  the  one  a  Hebrew  and  the  other  a  Greek  name, 
both  signifying  a  people  that  pray,  because  they  placed  re- 
ligion not  in  speculation,  but  in  devotion  and  piety. 

The  Euchites  among  the  Greeks  were  similar  to  the 
Waldenses  or  Waldensians  among  the  Romans.  The 
terms,  Waldenses,  Valenses  or  Vadois  (all  of  the  same 
import)  signify  the  people  of  the  vallies,  and  were  ap- 
plied in  early  times  to  those,  who,  tired  of  tyranny, 
pomp,  and  oppression,  retired  to  obscure  retreats  where 
they  might  enjoy  gospel  purity  and  religious  free- 
dom. And  in  the  end,  all  of  their  sentiments,  and 
many  who  were  not,  were  called  Waldenses,  whether 
they  dwelt  in  vallies  or  on  mountains,  in  cities  or  in  caves  : 
Just  as  a  sect  of  christians  are  called  Moravians,  whether 
they  dwell  in  Moravia,  in  England,  in  Greenland,  or 
the  West-India  Islands.  And  the  terms  Euchites  and 
Waldenses  answered  to  thatof  Non-conformist  in  England, 
which  every  reader  will  understand.  Among  the  Eng- 
lish non-conformists,  are  comprehended  Presbyterians,  In- 
dependents, Baptists,  Methodists,  Quakers,  and  so  on. 
And  so  among  the  Greek  Euchites  and  the  Roman  W'al- 
denses,  were  a  great  variety  of  sects,  who  maintained  a 
great  di\ersity  of  opimons  and  practices,  and  among  them 
were  many  who  would  be  called  Baptists,  as  we  shall  at 
tempt  to  show  in  the  next  chapter  but  one. 


IVichlijf  and  other  Reformers  before  Luther.         35 


PROTESTANTS. 

Long  before  the  time  of  Luther  many  had  attempted  to 
ihake  off  the  papal  yoke,  and  revive  the  spirit  of  godliness 
among  the  multitudes,  who  were  groaning  beneath  an  op- 
pressive load  of  absurdities  and  superstitions.  Among  the 
principal  men  of  this  character  we  may  reckon  Claude  of 
Turin  in  Piedmont,  Peter  de  Bruys  and  Henry  his  disci- 
ple, Peter  Waldo  of  Lyons  in  France  ;  Wickliff,  the 
morning  of  the  Reformation  ;  John  Huss,  and  Jerome  of 
Prague  ;  either  of  these  men,  had  the  time  arrived  for  the 
pillars  of  Babylon  to  be  shaken,  and  had  Providence  sec- 
onded their  views,  might  have  done  as  much  as  was  per- 
formed by  Luther.  They  successively  made  noble  stands 
against  the  man  of  sin,  and  sometimes  struck  terrour  even 
to  the  seat  of  the  beast ;  and  by  their  evangelical  exertions, 
multitudes  of  their  fellowmen  were  enlightened,  and  led 
into  the  paths  of  salvation.  But  the  Dragon  v*as  permit- 
ted to  make  successful  war  against  them,  and  most  of 
them  fell  victims  to  his  rage.  Their  followers  were  eith- 
er destroyed  or  dispersed,  and  their  names  and  principles 
were  covered  with  infamy  and  disgrace.  Wickliff  was 
hunted  with  violence  at  first,  but  he  outlived  the  perse- 
cuting storm,  which  had  been  raised  against  him,  and  died 
in  peace  at  the  parish  of  Lutterworth  in  England  in  1387. 
But  forty  years  after,  his  bones  were  dug  up  by  order  of 
the  council  of  Constance,  and  publickly  burnt.  Wick- 
iiff's  followers  were  called  Lollards,  and  among  them  were 
many  Baptists,  as  \\e  shall  show  when  we  come  to  treat  of 
their  history. 

But  while  the  Roman  pontiff  slumbered  in  security  at 
the  head  of  the  church,  and  saw  nothing  throughout  the 
vast  extent  of  his  dominion  but  tranquillity  and  submis- 
sion ;  and  while  the  worthy  and  pious  professors  of  gen- 
uine Christianity  almost  despaired  of  seeing  that  reforma- 
tion on  which  their  most  ardent  desires  and  expectations 
were  bent ;  an  obscure  and  inconsiderable  person  arose, 
on  a  sudden,  in  1517,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  this  long 
expected  change,  by  opposing,  with  undaunted  resolu- 
tion, his  single  force  to  the  torrent  of  papal  ambition  and 
despotism.  This  extraordinary  man  was  Martin  Luther, 
a  native  of  Aisleben  in   Saxony,   where  he  was  born  in 


36  Martin  Luther. 

1483.  Luther  was  a  man  of  a  bold  and  fearless  spirit, 
and  well  qualified  to  hear  undaunted  the  terrifick  thun- 
ders of  the  pope,  and  to  execute  the  work,  which,  we 
cannot  hesitate  to  believe,  he  Vv'as  raised  up  by  Divine 
Providence  to  perform.  But  although  his  virtues  were 
many,  his  failings  were  great ;  and  his  temptations  to 
think  more  highly  of  himself  than  any  fallible  man  ought 
to  think,  were  many.  Soon  after  he  began  his  successful 
career,  he  drew  the  attention  of  most  of  the  European 
world,  not  because  of  his  own  personal  greatness,  but  on 
account  of  the  glorious  work  in  which  he  took  the  lead. 
Pope  Leo  X.  and  all  his  creatures,  both  ecclesiastical  and 
civil,  fixed  their  jealous  eyes  on  this  threatening  innova- 
tor, and  levelled  their  vengeance  against  his  devoted  head. 
On  the  other  hand,  all  the  pious,  who  groaned  in  bon- 
dage, looked  up  to  him  with  the  most  lively  hopes  and  ex- 
pectations. The  powerful  Elector  of  Saxony,  soon  took 
him  under  his  patronage ;  other  princes  of  Germany  be- 
came his  admirers  and  defenders,  and  the  sovereigns  of 
other  kingdoms  invited  him  and  his  associates,  into  their 
dominions.  With  all  these  stimulations  to  pride,  with  all 
these  attentions  from  enemies  and  friends,  it  is  not  alto- 
gether strange,  that  Luther  became  conceited  and  dog- 
matical, and  discovered  a  portion  of  that  intolerance  to- 
wards others,  which  had  been  exercised  towards  him. 
Had  Luther  possessed  the  mild  and  yielding  spirit  of  Me- 
lancthon,  his  cottnrporary  and  successor,  he  might  not 
have  wilhstood,  with  such  heroick  fortitude,  the  vehe- 
mence of  the  papal  power,  but  he  doubtless  would  have 
treated  with  more  condescension,  those  who  importuned 
him  to  carry  the  reformation  farther  than  he  did,  and  es- 
pecially the  German  Baptists,  who  vainly  hoped  to  see  a 
reformation  in  the  article  of  baptism. 

But  it  is  not  my  intention  or  desire,  to  detract  one  par- 
ticle of  merit  from  this  distinguished  reformer;  nor  will  the 
limits  of  this  review  permit  me  to  make  any  further  stric- 
tures on  his  character.  He  was  educated  an  Augustine 
monk,  and  in  the  monastick  habit,  under  the  vows  of  ce- 
libacy, he  began  that  mighty  career,  which  elevated  him  to 
the  pinnacle  of  fame,  and  terminated  in  essential  and 
f^bundant  good  to  mankind. 


The  Reformation  extended.  37 

The  traffick  of  indulgencies,  which  was  carried  to  a 
most  scandalous  and  impious  height,  by  the  famous,  or 
rather  infamous  Tetzel,  provoked  his  resentment  and 
aroused  his  zeal.  At  Wittemberg,  in  1517,  he  began  by 
declaiming  against  the  sale  of  popish  pardons ;  his  cen- 
sures were  at  first  levelled  against  Tetzel  in  particular ; 
next  against  the  whole  band  of  infamous  taxgatherers,  who 
were  fleecing  the  multitude  by  the  most  iniquitous  and  de- 
testable means,  ever  devised  by  ecclesiastical  avarice  ;  and 
finally  he  proceeded  to  attack  the  authority  and  supremacy 
of  the  pope.  And  thus  by  gradual  steps  proceeded  forward 
that  memorable  revolution  in  Europe,  called  the  Reforma- 
tion. 

Luther  does  not  appear  at  first  to  have  had  any  thing 
more  in  view  than  to  oppose  the  abominable  tralfick  of  in- 
dulgencies, and  to  reform  some  of  the  superstitions  and  er- 
rours  of  popery  ;  but  he  was  carried  forward  by  the  ardour 
of  his  own  zeal  much  beyond  the  bounds  he  had  contem- 
plated ;  and  in  the  end  was  driven,  by  the  thundering  ve- 
hemence of  the  Roman  pontiff,  and  his  insolent  emissaries, 
to  a  total  separation  fron\  a  church,  so  full  of  vengeance  and 
corruption. 

About  three  years  after  Luther  had  began  his  new  course 
of  writing  and  preaching,  he  was  solemnly  excommunicated 
by  thepope ;  but  this  terrible  sentence  he  treated  with  the  ut- 
most derision  and  contempt,  and  "  on  the  10th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1520,  he  had  a  pile  of  wood  erected  without  the  walls 
of  the  city  Wittemberg,  and  there,  in  the  presence  of  a 
prodigious  multitude  of  people  of  all  ranks  and  orders, 
committed  to  the  flames  both  the  bull  which  had  been 
published  against  him,  and  the  canons  and  decretals  relat- 
ing to  the  pope's  supreme  jurisdiction."  From  this  pe- 
riod Luther  formed  the  project  of  founding  a  church  in  op- 
position to  that  of  Rome  ;  his  bold  and  successful  attempts 
flew  on  the  uings  of  fame  to  distant  regions,  multitudes 
were  encouraged  by  his  example  to  throw  off"  the  popish 
yoke,  and  rally  round  the  standard  of  the  Saxon  Reformer, 
and  the  principles  of  the  reformation  were  henceforward 
propagated  with  an  amazing  rapidity  through  all  the  coun- 
tries of  Europe.  But  still  Luther  was  in  imminent  dan- 
ger from  the  emissaries  of  Rome  ;  he  was  conducted  by 
bis  patron  the  Elector  of  Saxony,  to  the  Castle  of  Warten- 


58  77z<?  Reformers  denominated  Protestants. 

berg,  where  he  resided  in  safety  ten  months,  and  employ- 
ed his  time  in  writing  and  translating  the  scriptures. 
From  this  retreat,  which  he  called  his  Patmos,  he  again 
repaired  to  the  city  of  Wittemberg,  and  in  a  short  time,  he, 
with  the  assistance  of  other  learned  men,  completed  the 
translation  of  the  Bible  in  the  German  language.  This 
being  spread  abroad  among  the  people  produced  sudden 
and  almost  incredible  effects,  and  a  prodigious  number  of 
persons  in  different  regions  received  ihe  light  of  truth. 

Hitherto  the  principles  and  progress  of  the  reformation 
appear  pleasant  and  commendable.  But  we  must  now 
leave,  for  a  while,  the  humble  promoters  of  evangelical 
piety,  and  listen  to  the  din  of  arms,  and  behold  with  grief 
and  sorrow  the  sanguinary  conflicts  of  contending  religious 
parties. 

The  reformation  soon  became  a  thing  of  political  conse- 
quence, and  was  prostituted  to  purposes  altogether  foreign 
to  the  genuine  spirit  of  Christianity.  Many  of  the  German 
princes  seconded  Luther's  exertions  from  motives  of  civil 
policy  ;  they  were  glad  to  free  themselves  from  the  power 
of  the  pope,  which  they  had  long  found  troublesome  and 
oppressive  :  they  therefore  declared  in  favour  of  the  new 
religion  ;  their  subjects  followed  their  example,  and  whole 
provinces  and  kingdoms  were  at  once  in  arms  against  po- 
pery, and  enlisted  on  the  side  of  the  great  Reformer. 
These  princes  formed  a  confederacy,  and  in  connexion 
with  Luther  and  his  associates,  in  1529,  entered  a  solemn 
Protest  against  the  oppressive  measures  of  the  papal  pow- 
er, and  hence  arose  the  denomination  of  Protestants, 
which  from  this  period  was  given  to  all  who  espoused  the 
principles  of  the  reformation,  whether  they  did  it  from 
evangelical  motives  or  from  worldly  policy.  Soon  pro- 
testants  and  papists  became  two  powerful  contending  par- 
ties ;  many  reasoned  and  debated,  but  princes  and  all 
who  would  follow  them,  decided  their  controversies  in  the 
field  of  battle.  But  we  cannot  pursue,  any  farther,  an  ac- 
count of  the  religious  commotions,  which  now  began  to 
agitate  the  kingdoms  of  Euroi^e.  It  is  suflicient  to  ob- 
serve, that  under  Luther,  a  church  arose,  which  was  call- 
ed after  his  name,  and  which  has,  for  almost  three  hun- 
dred years,  been  the  established  religion  of  a  considerable 
part  of  Europe.     But  the  Lutheran  church  is  acknowledg- 


Luther  adopts  Consuhstantiation.  39 

cd  to  be  the  least  removed  from  popery  of  any  of  the  pro- 
testant  churches ;  the  church  of  England  not  excepted. 
Luther  did  much,  but  he  left  much  to  be  done.  He  op- 
posed and  rejected  some  of  the  superstitions  and  absurdi- 
ties of  popery  ;  but  he  still  retained  many  of  them  in  his 
creed.  The  pope's  supremacy,  and  all  the  prerogatives 
of  the  papacy  he  renounced,  together  with  the  doctrines  of 
purgatory,  transubstantiation,  and  so  on.  But  he  estab- 
lished, or  took  the  lead  in  establishing  a  national  hierarchy 
to  be  fenced  round  and  protected  by  the  civil  power.  He 
seemed  to  have  no  notion  of  founding  churches  of  visible 
believers  only,  but  all  who  were  comprehended  within 
certain  bounds,  and  who  assented  to  his  creed,  were  admit- 
ted to  communion.  Luther  rejected  tramubstantiationy 
but  he  substituted  in  its  room  what  he  called  consubstantia- 
tioiiy  a  word  almost  as  long,  and  which  conveyed  ideas 
just  as  unscriptural  and  absurd.^ 

The  Lutheran  church  has  its  Augsburg  confession,  its 
liturgies,  its  holy  days,  its  bishops,  superintendents,  and 
so  on.  It  has  but  one  archbishop,  and  he  is  the  primate 
of  Sweden.  But  Luther's  exertions  were,  notwithstand- 
ing, of  essential  service  to  mankind  ;  for  in  opposing  the 
doctrines  of  popery,  he  warmly  advocated  the  sufficiency 
of  revelation  to  instruct  mankind  in  all  the  duties  of  re- 
ligion. This  main  principle  of  all  reformations,  Luther 
maintained  more  clearly  in  theory  than  practice,  and  mul- 
titudes by  following  his  maxims  up  to  their  legitimate 
consequences,  carried  forward  the  reformation,  much 
forther  than  he  had  done. 

Out  of  the  Lutheran  church  arose  another,  which  was 
called  the  reformed,  and  which  was  founded  by  Ulrich 
Zuinglius,  a  native  of  Switzerland.  Zuinglius  began  a 
successful  opposition  to  indulgencies,  and  to  the  whole 
fabrickof  papacy  in  Switzerland,  about  the  time  that  Luther 

•  According  to  the  papists,  the  bread  and  wine  employed  in  the  sacrament 
of  the  supper,  are,  by  a  miraculous  operation,  changed  into  the  real  body 
and  blood  of  Christ.  This  is  called  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation.  Thi? 
doctrine  Luther  rejected,  but  still  he  would  not  admit,  that  the  elements  of 
bread  and  wine  were  merely  symbols,  but  maintained  that  the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ  were  really  present  in  the  sacrament,  the  same  as  two  ele- 
ments are  united  in  red  hot  iron.  This  he  called  consubstantiation.  This 
nonsensical  doctrine  was  strenuously  maintained  by  this  famous  reformer, 
and  occasioned  violent  disputes  between  him  and  Carolostadt,  Zuinglius, 
Bucer  imcl  others. 


40  Zii'mgHus  slain. . . . Cahin. 

began  in  Saxony.  The  Swiss  reformer  differed  widely 
from  Luther  in  many  articles,  and  was  much  more  evan- 
gelical and  consistent  in  his  views  of  the  eucharist,  and 
of  other  matters  both  of  faith  and  practice.  But  he  fell  in 
the  battle  that  was  fought  in  Urich,  in  1530,  between  the 
protestants  and  catholicks.^- 

Calvin  began  his  course  a  little  after  Luther  and  Zuing- 
lius.  He  was  born  at  Noyon,  in  Picardy,  in  France,  in 
1509.  Luther,  Zuinglius,  and  Calvin,  became  the  heads 
of  three  distinguished  parties,  which  were  called  after  their 
names.  They  acted  at  first  in  concert,  in  the  great  busi- 
ness of  the  Reformation,  but  soon  the}'- clashed  most  vio- 
lently with  each  other  both  in  their  sentiments  and  measures. 

Besides  these  three  reformers,  there  were  a  number  of 
others  who  engaged  with  much  zeal  and  success  in  the 
protestant  cause,  and  were  distinguished  in  their  day  for 
various  qualities  and  performances,  and  for  a  common 
principle  of  opposition  to  the  church  of  Rome.  Among 
these  we  may  reckon  Melancthon,  Carolostadt,  Bucer, 
Erasmus,  Menno,  Oecolampadius,  and  others.  Luther 
and  Calvin,  however,  have  shared  most  of  the  glory  of  the 
great  and  important  change  which  was  effected  in  the  relig- 
ious world  in  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century.  But 
Calvin  surpassed  not  only  Luther,  but  all  his  cotemporaries 
in  learning  and  parts,  as  he  did  most  of  them  in  obstinacy, 
asperity,  and  turbulence.  Luther  fixed  his  stand  at  Wit- 
tembcrg  in  Saxony,  and  was  succeeded  in  the  general  care 
of  the  great  hierarchy,  which  he  established,  by  the  soft  and 
complying  Melancthon.  Calvin  made  his  stand  at  Geneva, 
on  the  confines  of  Switzerland.  Calvin  is  famous  for  his 
defence  of  predestination  and  absolute  decrees,  and  also  for 
bis  opposition  to  the  Anabaptists.  From  Calvin's  follow- 
ers originated  the  Presbyterians  ;  and  many  other  sects, 
who  have  adopted  either  in  full  or  in  part,  his  notions  of 

*  It  was  not  indeed  to  perform  tlie  sanguinary  office  of  a  soldier  that  Zu- 
"ngllus  was  present  at  tliis  engagement,  but  with  a  view  to  encourage  and 
animate  by  his  counsels  and  exhortations,  the  valiant  defenders  of  the  pro- 
testant cause:  A  lame  cause  that  needs  the  defence  of  the  sanguinary  soldier. 
In  a  note.  Dp.  Moshiem  has  given  a  mucli  more  satisfactory  apology  for 
Zuinglius,  tlian  the  above,  whicii  is  found  in  the  body  of  his  work.  "  At  this 
time  the  Swiss  were  universally  obliged  to  take  the  field.  Neither  the  min- 
isters of  the  gospel  nor  the  professors  of  theology  were  exempted  from  mili- 
-ary  serylcc."    Vol.  iv.  p.  353. 


Church  of  England  founded  by  Henry  FIJI.  41 

predestination  and  grace,  have  consented  to  be  called  by 
his  name.^ 

The  Church  of  England  assumes  the  name  of  Protes- 
taniy  although  multitudes  have  protested  against  her  on 
various  accounts.  This  church  arose  about  the  time  of 
tht  terrible  tumults  of  Munster,  which  have  been  so  uni- 
formly and  exultingly,  but  falsely  ascribed  to  the  German 
Anabaptists.  It  was  founded  by  the  amorous  Kenry  VIII. 
a  prince,  who,  in  vices  and  abilities,  was  surpassed  by  none 
who  swayed  the  sceptre  in  his  age.  Henry  at  first  op- 
posed with  the  utmost  vehemence,  both  the  doctrines  and 
views  of  Luther  ;  but  because  the  pope  \\  ould  not  grant 
him  a  divorce  according  to  his  mind,  he  renounced  his 
jurisdiction  and  supremacy,  and  was  declared  by  the  par- 
liament and  people,  Supreme  Head^  on  earthy  of  the  Church 
of  England.  Henry  put  down  one  thousand,  four  hundred 
and  forty  eight  popish  religious  houses,  and  seized  en 
their  lands,  amounting  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  three 
thousand,  seven  hundred  and  seven  pouiidsper  annum  ;  he 
gave  his  subjects  an  English  translation  of  the  Bible,  but 
ordered  all  such  books  to  be  destroyed  as  might  help  to 
explain  it  to  them.  The  same  monarch,  who  renounced 
the  dominion  of  Rome,  yet  superstiticusly  retained   the 

•  The  denomination  Reformed  was  given  to  those  protestant  churches, 
which  did  not  embrace  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  Luther.  The  title  was 
first  assumed  by  the  French  proiestants,  who  were  often  called  Hugonots,  and 
afterwards  became  the  common  denomination  of  all  the  Calvinlstical  churches 
on  the  continent.  This  greatbody  of  dissenters  from  LutheranisTn,  Mosheim 
describes  under  the  general  denomination  of  the  Reformed  Church.  But  tlvis 
church  was  at  first  composed  of  many  parts,  which  preserved  a  nominal  imioii 
for  a  time,  and  then  split  into  a  multitude  of  sects  and  parties.  Ont  of  the 
Reformed  Church  arose,  among  other  sects,  the  Arminians  and  Qiiakers. 
The  Arminians  were  so  called  from  James  Arminlus,  who  died  at  Leyden  in 
Holland,  in  1609,  just  a  hundred  years  after  Calvin  was  born.  Arminius 
warmly  opposed  Calvin's  notions,  respecting  predestination  and  absolute  de- 
crees, but  he  did  not  carry  his  system  so  far  as  many  of  his  followers  have 
done.  The  doctrine  of  falling  from  grace  he  left  doubtful,  but  his  followers 
soon  determined  it  in  the  affirmative.  Arminius  met  with  severe  treatment 
from  his  reformed  brethren.  His  party  flourished  for  a  time,  and  then  dwin- 
dled away.  But  his  peculiar  sentiments  have  prevailed  extensively,  and  are 
now  imbibed  by  multitudes  in  every  sect  of  protestants. 

The  Church  of  England,  since  the  time  of  the  intolerant  Laud,  has  gene- 
rally embraced  the  doctrines  of  Arminius.  The  Lulher2.ns  are  also  more  In- 
clined to  Arminianism  than  Calvinism.  Episcopalians  and  Lutherans  sub- 
scribe their  Augsburg  confession  and  thirty-nine  articles,  and  immediately 
preach  and  write  directly  against  them.  Calvlu  and  Annlnius  havf  theii.- 
partisans  in  every  countr}',  and  thousands  spend  much  time,  in  diipuling 
about  these  favourite  chiefs,  (of  whom  they  know  but  little)  which  they  might 
devote  to  a  much  better  purpose. 

VOL.    r.  6 


42  The  Puritans  divide  into  a  Multitude  of  Seas, 

greatest  part  of  its  errours  along  with  its  imperious  and  per- 
secuting spirit.  Henry,  in  a  word,  renounced  the  domin- 
ion of  the  pope,  that  he  might  become  a  pope  himself,  and 
the  Church  of  England,  as  established  by  law  at  this  time, 
was  not  a  twiu  churchy  but  an  old  one  fitted  up  in  a  neiv 
fashion.  It  underw  ent  some  improvements  in  the  reign  of 
the  young  and  amiable  prince  Edward  VI.  the  son  and 
successor  of  Henry.  But  still  there  is,  in  the  opinion  of 
many,  great  room  for  improvement  in  this  ecclesiastical 
body.  Whoever  sways  the  British  sceptre,  whether  male 
or  female,  is  of  course  the  head  of  the  English  church,  and 
the  hopeful  Prince  of  Wales  will,  probably,  according  to 
the  course  of  nature  and  law,  soon  succeed  to  this  impor- 
tant station. 

In  the  reign  of  Eduard  VI.  but  more  especially  in  that 
of  his  sister  Elizabeth,  the  successor  of  the  furious  and 
implacable  Mary,  many  were  desirous  of  a  purer  church 
than  had  hitherto  been  established.  These  persons  were 
called  Puritans,  and  under  this  denomination  was,  for  a 
long  time,  comprehended  a  large  body  of  English  dis- 
senters and  non-conformists,  among  whom  there  existed  a 
great  variety  of  opinions  and  practices.  From  the  Puri- 
tans originated  the  Independents,  and  many  of  the  Bap- 
tists in  England,  the  Congregationalists  of  America,  aid  a 
multitude  of  other  sects  and  parties,  whom  the  limits  of 
this  v.'ork  will  not  permit  us  even  to  name. 

To  close  these  brief  sketches,  it  may  be  proper  to  ob- 
serve, that  the  great  body  of  christians  who  protested  against 
the  church  of  Rome,  and  who,  for  that  reason,  received 
the  general  name  of  Protestants,  preserved  a  common 
bond  of  union,  so  long  as  they  were  oppressed  and  endan- 
gered by  the  church  of  Rome.  But  \vhen  they  arrived 
beyond  its  power,  they  filed  off  into  a  multitude  of  parties. 
Some  stood  by  their  Augsburg  confession,  their  Helvetic 
and  Genevan  creeds,  their  English  liturgy,  and  so  on,  and 
resolved  to  remain  by  the  standards  their  leaders  had  set 
up.  Others  went  in  pursuit  of  farther  light,  and  those, 
who  took  the  Scriptures  for  their  guide,  actually  found  it, 
while  those  wlio  followed  their  mistaken  impulses,  and 
capricious  fancies,  ran  wild  into  the  mazes  of  errour  and 
deception,  and  exhibited  to  the  view  of  astonished  be- 
holders, the  most  fantastick  reveries  and  delusions.    The 


Apostolick,  Romish  and  Protestant  Missions.        43 

stronger  sects  of  Protestants  forged  chains  for  the  weaker, 
and  prepared  dungeons  and  flames  for  all,  who  would  not 
wear  them. 

It  could  not  be  expected  that  a  people  lately  come  out 
of  Babylon,  should,  all  at  once,  understand  the  principles 
of  religious  freedom.  The  old  popish  idol  of  uniformity 
was  set  up  in  Protestant  countries,  and  all  were  command- 
ed, under  penalties  of  different  kinds,  but  always  severe,  to 
bow  down  and  worship  it.  But  a  milder  policy  has  suc- 
ceeded, and  we  trust  the  period  will  arrive,  when  not  only 
the  righteous  principles  of  religious  freedom,  but  the  glori- 
ous system  which  contains  them,  shall  prevail  from  the 
rising  to  the  setting  sun,  and  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of 
God,  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  do  the  sea. 


MISSIONS. 

The  apostles  and  early  preachers  were  almost  all  Mis- 
sionaries, and  their  evangelical  journies  were  performed  on 
missionary  ground.  They  had  no  regard  to  parish  lines,  nor 
ecclesiastical  districts  ;  they  asked  not  for  licences,  they 
waited  not  for  appointments,  they  sought  no  emoluments, 
but  by  the  call  of  God  they  went  forth,  dependent  on  the 
treasury  of  heaven  they  journied,  and  aided  by  the  common 
succours  and  miraculous  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they 
went  every  where  preaching  the  word  and  performing  won- 
ders in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

The  church  of  Rome  has  done  much  in  the  missionary 
cause.  Multitudes  have  been  sent  forth  in  every  age  by 
that  august  community.  Some  of  them  were  doubtless 
better  than  their  masters,  and  rendered  essential  service  to 
mankind,  while  others  were  artful  and  ambitious  men,  full 
of  every  thing  vile  and  detestable,  and  destitute  of  every 
thing  good  ;  and  having  imbibed  the  spirit  of  their  mas- 
ters, laboured  more  for  the  glory  of  the  See  of  Rome,  than 
for  the  everlasting  benefit  of  the  heathen. 

The  priests  at  Rome,  in  many  instances,  drew  geo^ 
graphical  lines  of  parishes  and  bishopricks  among  the  pagan 
nations,  and  sent  forth  booted  apostles  with  military  fame, 
to  dragoon  the  perishing  heathen  into  a  belief  of  christiani» 
ty,  and  nations  were  baptized  at  the  point  of  the  sword. 


44  Morcman^  Danish  a?id  English  Missions. 

In  1622,  there  was  founded  at  Rome  by  pope  Gregory 
XV.  an  institution  called  The  Congregation  for  propagat- 
ing the  faith.  It  was  enriched  with  ample  revenues  by 
Urban  VIII.  and  an  incredible  number  of  donors,  Mho 
were  emulous  to  excel  each  other  in  munificent  acts.  By 
this  Congregation  a  vast  number  of  missionaries  were  sent 
forth  into  the  remotest  parts  of  the  world  ;  and  multitudes 
of  persons,  in  the  fiercest  and  most  barbarous  nations,  were 
converted  to  the  profession  of  the  Catholick  faith.  In  India 
and  the  inaccessible  regions  of  China  and  Japan,  many 
thousands  were  won  over  by  the  artful  and  industrious 
Jesuits  and  monks.  But  these  insidious  men  temporized 
and  dissembled,  and  it  is  more  proper  to  say  that  they 
were  converted  to  paganism,  than  that  the  jiagans  were 
converted  to  Christianity.  But  their  boasted  career  was  of 
short  duration.  By  interfering  in  political  affairs,  they 
fell  under  the  suspicions  of  the  jealous  emperours,  were  fu- 
riously expelled  from  their  dominions,  and  many  thous- 
ands of  their  converts  perished  by  the  sword,  and  the  rest 
returned  to  paganism,  if  returning  it  might  be  called. 

But  leaving  the  church  of  Rome,  we  will  take  a  short 
view  of  the  Protestant  communities  which  have  made  lauds- 
ble  exertions  for  the  promotion  of  missions.  And  among 
these  the  Moravians  deserve  first  to  be  mentioned.  It  is 
said  by  Dr.  Haweis,  that  no  denomination  of  Protestants 
has  displayed  an  equal  degree  of  zeal,  or  met  m  ith  equal 
success  in  their  missionary  labours.  To  a  number  of  the 
different  tribes  of  the  American  Indians;  to  many  of  the 
West  India  Islands  ;  to  the  frozen  regions  of  Greenland  ; 
to  the  coast  of  Coromandel  ;  and  to  the  ignorant  and  bru- 
tish Hottentots,  the  zealous  Moravians  have  carried  the 
word  of  life,  and  many  thousands  have,  by  their  means, 
been  convei^ed  to  the  Lord. 

The  Danish  nation  began  in  the  missionary  cause,  about 
a  hundred  years  ago.  Their  labours  have  been  directed 
to  Greenland  and  the  Malabar  coast,  and  multitudes  have 
been  converted  to  the  profession  of  Christianity  at  least. 

The  Church  of  England  possesses  ample  revenues  for 
missionary  purposes,  but  she  has  hitherto  done  but 
little. 

But  wiihin  a  few  years  past  a  remarkable  missionary 
Epirit  has  prevailed  on  both  sides  of  the   Atlantic.     The 


American  and  other  Missions.  45 

Evangelical  Missionary  Society  of  London  has  done  much 
and  promises  to  do  much  more.  The  Baptist  Missiona- 
ry Society  of  England  is  a  most  important  estabhshment, 
and  v^ill  be  noticed  in  its  proper  place.  Many  noble  ex- 
ertions have  been  made  in  the  Missionary  cause  by  the 
American  Pedo- baptists  ;  and  the  American  Baptists  have 
not  been  idle  in  this  important  cause,  as  will  be  shown 
towards  the  close  of  this  work. 

The  present  is  an  eventful  period.  The  nations  of  the 
earth  are  convulsed,  and  are  dashing  against  each  other 
with  furious  rage.  On  the  one  hand  we  hear  nothing  but 
the  clangour  of  arms  and  the  rage  of  battle.  The  devoted 
fields  of  Europe  arc  drenched  with  human  gore,  and  cov- 
ered with  the  carcases  of  the  slain.  The  god  of  war  is 
driving  his  crimson  car  amidst  carnage  and  blood.  But 
the  God  of  armies  is  riding  in  his  chariot  of  salvation,  and 
gathering  his  elect  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  and  in- 
creasing exceedingly  the  number  of  redeemed  souls. 
May  the  time  soon  come,  when  he  whose  right  it  is  to 
reign  shall  come,  and  when  all  nations  shall  bow  to  his 
sceptre. 

I  have  extended  this  article  to  a  much  greater  length 
than  I  at  first  intended,  but  still  it  is  but  a  very  brief  view 
of  the  extensive  subject  of  which  it  professes  to  treat.  It 
has  been  selected  mostly  from  Mosheim,  Milner,  Robin- 
son, and  Millot.  I  have  not  referred  to  all  the  parts  of 
these  works  from  which  I  have  made  quotations.  This 
would  have  made  an  abundance  of  references,  and  was,  I 
conceived,  altogether  unnecessary,  as  I  have  stated  no  facts, 
nor  advanced  any  sentiments  which  can  be  disputed. 

This  Compendium  is  intended  to  be  introductory  to  the 
chapters,  which  will  immediately  follow,  and  may  serve  as 
a  key  to  many  events  and  circumstances,  \vhich  will  there 
|5e  referred  to. 


46  John  the  first  Administrator  of  Baptism, 


CHAP.  ir. 


A    MINIATURE    HISTORY    OF    BAPTISM. 

BAPTISM,  as  it  was  instituted  by  the  great  Christian 
Lawgiver,'  was  a  plain  and  significant  rite.  And  for  a 
long  time,  after  corruptions  in  doctrine  had  crept  into  the 
church,  baptism  was  maintained  in  its  original  simplicity 
and  purity,  and  was  free  from  that  pompous  round  of  cer- 
emonies, with  which  it  was  afterwards  encumbered. 

Nothing  is  more  evident,  than  that  in  the  primitive  ages 
of  the  church,  professed  believers  were  the  only  subjects 
of  this  sacred  rite,  and  immersion  or  dipping  was  the  only 
mode.  But  in  process  of  time,  baptism  passed  from  visi- 
ble believers,  to  catechumen  minors,  and  from  them  to 
unconscious  babes.  And  from  immersion  it  was  reduced 
to  pouring,  then  to  sprinkling,  and  now  to  any  mode, 
Avbich  the  inventive  fancies  of  capricious  candidates  may 
devise,  provided  always,  that  some  part  of  them  be  'voet. 

The  limits  of  this  review  will  not  permit  me  to  do  any 
thing  more  than  merely  to  glance  at  the  most  prominent 
parts  of  this  extensive  subject,  and  relate  some  of  the  most 
remarkable  circumstances  which  have  attended  the  pro- 
gress of  baptism  from  its  introduction  to  the  present  time. 

The  New-Testament  account  of  baptism  demands  our 
first  attention  ;  and  there  we  find,  that  the  first  performer 
of  this  sacred  rite,  and  who  administered  it  to  the  great 
Messiah  and  to  multitudes  of  repenting  Jews,  was  John 
the  Buptist. 

This  singular  person  is  supposed  to  have  been  born  in 
Hebron  ;  he  began  preaching  the  doctrine  of  repentance 
in  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  and  soon  multitudes,  from  all 
the  region  round  about,  flocked  to  the  harbinger  of  the 
Messiah,  and  confessing  their  sins  were  baptized  by  him 
in  Jordan  and  Enon. 

But  John's  ministry  was  of  short  duration.  By  some 
means  he  was  introduced  to  king  Herod,  whom  he  reprov- 
ed for  living  in  adultery  with  his  brother  Philip's  wife. 
For  this  honest  freedom  John  was  cast  into  prison,  where 


Superstitious  Honours  paid  to  John  the  Baptist.       47 

he  was  assassinated  by  the  means  of  the  guilty  and  enraged 
Herodias.* 

For  the  purpose  of  performing  his  great  work,  John  se- 
lected a  number  of  baptismal  stations.  The  first  appears 
to  have  been  at  the  river  Jordan.  Mr.  Robinson  supposes 
it  was  on  its  eastern  bank,  about  four  or  five  miles  from  its 
mouth,  where  it  discharges  itself  into  the  lake  Asphaltites, 
or  the  Dead  Sea,  and  near  the  place  where  it  was  miracu- 
lously parted  for  the  Israelites  to  pass  over  it,  when  they 
entered  into  the  promised  land.  *'  About  half  a  mile  from 
the  river,  the  remains  of  a  convent,  dedicated  to  John  the 
Baptist,  are  yet  to  be  seen  :  for  the  Syrian  monks  availed 
themselves  of  the  zeal  of  early  pilgrims,  who  aspired  to  the 
honour  of  being  baptized,  where  they  supposed  John  bap- 
tized Jesus." 

As  much  has  been  said  to  prove  that  John  could  no 
where  in  Judea  find  water  of  sufficient  depth  for  immersion, 
it  may  be  proper  to  give  a  brief  description  of  the  river  Jor- 
dan, and  also  of  Enon  near  to  Salim. 

*  The  Catholicks  have  paid  the  most  extravag-ant  veneration  to  the  memo- 
ry of  John  the  Baptist;  and  the  most  ridiculous  fables  are  told  respecting 
him.  John  himself  lies  all  over  the  Catholick  world.  His  head  is  in  the 
city  of  Amiens,  in  France.  That  finger,  with  which  he  pointed  to  Christ, 
when  he  said,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,"  is  at  Florence  :  his  others  are 
at  'different  places.  The  knights  of  St.  John  have  his  right  hand,  with  which 
lie  baptized  Jesus,  enclosed  in  one  of  the  richest  and  most  elegant  shrines  j 
it  is  made  of  solid  gold,  and  adorned  with  a  profusion  of  jewels.  A  piece  of 
the  stone,  on  which  Jesus  stood  when  he  was  baptized,  is  at  Chiusi,  in  Si- 
enna. And  there  is  another  at  the  Lateran  at  Rome  It  is  a  fact,  that  of 
all  the  saints  in  paradise,  St.  John  the  Baptist  bore  the  bell  in  the  middle 
ages  of  the  Catholick  church.  When  no  new  baptisteries  were  wanted,  old 
ones  were  enlarged  with  vestries,  chapels,  oratories,  and  adjoining  houses. 
Then  they  were  adorned  with  inscriptions,  pictures,  mosaick  work,  statues,  bells, 
altars,  plates,  cups,  vases,  and  all  manner  of  utensils  ;  John  being  depicted  ou 
every  one.  Next  they  were  endowed  with  houses,  lands,  farms,  and  revenues 
of  various  kinds.  Blessed  John  the  Baptist  was  engraved  on  seals,  publick 
and  private,  cut  in  precious  stones  of  all  descriptions  for  rings  and  ornaments, 
exhibited  on  the  crowns  of  princes,  the  altar  cloths  and  other  ornaments  of 
churches,  and  chosen  by  towns,  cities,  and  whole  kingdoms  as  their  patron. 
The  multitude  imbibed  the  delicious  frenzy,  and  when  the  priest  inquired  at 
baptism,  What  is  his  name  ?  not  Jove  :  but  John  was  the  popular  cry,  and 
the  baptismal  hall  resounded  with  John— John— John  I 

,  To  protestant  gentlemen,  who  have  not  turned  their  attention  to  the  historj- 
of  this  old-fashioned  saint,  it  may,  at  first,  appear  improbable,  but  on  exami- 
nation it  will  be  found  very  ci'edible,  that  if  a  thesaurus  of  what  relates  to  this 
subject  were  collected  and  published  in  one  work,  it  would  swell  to  tlie  size  of 
the  Acta  Sanctorum,  which  amount  to  sixty  or  seventy  volumes  in  folio. 

Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  4,  93,  358,  359, 
It  is  presumed  that  no  Baptist  will  be  proud  of  tlie  superstitious  honours, 
which  have  been  paid  to  their  ancient  brother,  since  it  is  evident,  that  all  have 
overlooked  that  which  made  him  the  greatest  born  among  women. 


48  Desciiption  of  Jordan. 

Jordan  is  a  considerable  river  in  the  ancient  land  of  Israel, 
and  ran  from  norlh  to  south,  through  almost  the  whole  of 
that  once  delightful  country.  It  rises  from  the  lake  Phiala, 
in  the  mountain  called  Anti-Libanus,  and  after  running  fif- 
teen miles  under  ground,  breaks  out  at  Peneum.  A  little 
below  Dan^  the  stream  forms  the  lake  Samachonites, 
anciently  called  Menon,  which  is  about  four  milc^  over  and 
seven  miles  long.  Two  miles  after  its  leaving  the  lake,  is 
a  stone  bridge  of  three  arches,  called  "Jacob's  Bridge," 
supposed  to  have  been  built  before  the  days  of  Jacob.  Af- 
ter leaving  the  lake  Samachonites,  it  runs  fifteen  miles  fur- 
ther, and  forms  the  lake,  or  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  the 
sea^  of  Tiberias,  which  is,  in  its  broadest  part,  five  miles  in 
width,  and  in  length  eighteen  ;  thence  at  its  opposite  end, 
it  proceeds  forward  again,  and  after  a  course  of  sixty-five 
miles,  some  part  of  the  way  through  a  vast  and  horrid  des- 
ert, the  rest  through  a  fertile  region,  it  falls  into  the  lake 
Asphaltites  or  the  Dead  Sea,  where  it  is  lost.* 

Thus  VvC  see  this  little  stream,  thi:?  trifling  brook,  rises 
out  of  one  lake,  forms  or  passes  through  two  others,  and 
falls  into  a  fourth.  Morse  and  Parish  say  it  is  generally 
four  or  five  rods  wide,  and  nine  feet  deep. 

Robinson  says  that  this  river,  so  far  from  wanting  water, 
was  subject  to  two  sorts  of  floods,  one  periodical  at  harvest 
time,  in  which  it  resembled  the  Nile  in  Egypt,  Avith  which 
some  suppose  it  had  a  subterranean  communication. 
When  this  flood  came  down,  the  river  rose  many  feet,  and 
overflowed  the  lower  banks,  so  that  the  lions,  that  lay  in 
the  thickets  there,  were  roused  up  and  fled.  To  this  Jere- 
miah alludes  :  Behold,  the  king  of  Babylon  shcdl  come  up 
like  a  lion  from  the  swelling  of  Jordan.  The  other  svocll- 
f;z§-5  of  Jordan  were  casual,  and  resembled  those  of  all  other 
rivers  in  uneven  countries.! 

On  the  banks  of  this  noble  river,  John  the  Baptist 
fixed  one  of  his  baptismal  stations,  not  merely  for  the  pur- 
pose of  supplying  the  company,  and  the  horses,  and  cam- 
els, and  mules,  and  asses,  on  which  they  rode,  with  drink, 
as  is  supposed  by  a  late  Pedo-baptist  writer,t  but  for  the 
conveniency  of  immersing  the  repenting  candidates. 

*  Morse's  and  Parish's  Gazetteer. — Robinson's  History  of  Baptism, 
\  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  11,  12.        t  Dr.  Reed. 


Description  of  Enan.  45 

Another  of  John's  baptismal  stations  was  at  Enon  near 
to  Salim.     "  This  was  at  least  fifty  miles  north  of  the  river 
Jordan,  from  the  place  where  John  had  begun  to  baptize. 
One  of  the  apostles  was  said  to  be  a  native  of  SaUm,  and 
some  think  this  was  the  city  of  which  Melchisedec   was 
king."      It  is  not  so  easy  to  describe  Enon  as  Jordan, 
for  historians  and  geographers  are  not  agreed  respecting 
it.     Some  suppose  that  Enon  was  a  deep  sprino^,  called  the 
do'ue-spring^   or,  in  the  figurative  language  of  the  east,  the 
doDe''s-eye  ;    others  think  it  signified  the   fountain  of  the 
sun  ;  \vhile  others  are  of  an  opinion  that  it  was  either  a 
natural  spring,  an  artificial  reservoir,  or  a  cavernous  temple 
of  the  sun,  prepared  by  the  Canaanites,  the  ancient  idola- 
trous inhabitants  of  the  land.     Such   are  the  variety  of 
opinions  about  the  meaning  of  the  word  Enon.      But  al- 
though some  things  are  doubtful,  yet  one  thing  is  certain, 
it  was  a  place  \vhere  there  was  much  water.     This  was 
sufficient  for  John  the  Baptist,  and  it  was  immaterial  to 
him,  as  it  is  to  every  other  Baptist,  whether  water  be  found 
in  an  artificial  reservoir,  or  in  a  receptacle  formed  by  na- 
ture, provided  that  it  be  of  sufficient  depth  for  immersion, 
which,  for  most  administrators,  is  dbout  three  feet,  and 
from  six  to  nine  inches.     The  Greek,  for  much  ivate}\  is 
poUa  udata  ;    and  these  two  little  words  have  furnished 
matter  for  much  learned  criticism  and  many  futile  quibbles. 
"  Since  sprinkling  came  in  fashion,"    says  Mr.  Robin- 
son,  "  criticism,   unheard  of  in  all  former  ages,  hath  en- 
deavoured to  derive   evidence  for  scarcity  of  water,  from 
the  Greek  text  of  the  Evangelist  John,   and  to  vtu^tr polia 
udata  not  much  %vate7\  but  many  ivaters^  and  then  by  an 
ingenious  supposition,  to   infer  that    many  waters  signif}'^ 
not  many  waters  collected  into  one,  but  waters  parted  into 
many  little  rills,   which  might  all  serve  for  sprinkUng,   but 
could  not,  any  one  of  them,  be  used  for  dipping  :  as  if  one 
man  could  possibly  want  many  brooks  for  the  purpose  of 
sprinkling  one  person  at  a  time.      It  is  observable,  that  the 
rivers  Euphrates  at  Babylon,  Tiber  at  Rome,  and  Jordan  in 
Palestine,  are  all  described  by  pol/a  udata.     The  thunder 
which  agitates  clouds,  charged  with  floods,  is  called  the 
voice  of  the  Lord  upon  many  waters  ;  and  the  attachment, 
that  no  mortifications  can  annihilate,  is  a  love,  which  many 
waters  cannot  quench,  neither  can  the  foods  drown.     How 
vo  L.    I.  7 


50  Johii's  Baptism  set  aside  by  Pedo-baptists. 

it  comes  to  pass  that  a  mode  of  speaking,  which  on  every 
other  occasion  signifies  much,  should  in  the  case  of  baptism 
signify  little^  is  a  question  easy  to  answer."* 

The  scripture  account  of  the  baptism,  which  John  ad- 
ministered, must  impress  the  mind  of  every  unprejudiced 
person,  that  professed  believers  were  the  subjects  of  his 
baptism,  and  that  immersion  was  the  only  mode  adopted 
by  this  ancient  Baptist. 

But  notwithstanding  the  scripture  account  of  John  and 
his  ministry  is  so  plain,  yet  to  serve  the  purposes  of  infant 
baptism,  all  has  been  thrown  into  confusion,  covered  with 
mystery,  and  reduced  to  insignificance.  Some  have  pre- 
tended to  find  infants  among  John's  disciples  ;  but  this  is 
an  opinion  so  extravagant  and  absurd,  that  but  few  Pedo- 
baptist  writers  have  advanced  it. 

Dr.  Guyse  supposed  that  John  administered  baptism  by 
sprinkling.  This  opinion  he  expressed  in  the  following 
manner  :  "It  seems  to  me  that  the  people  stood  in  ranks, 
near  to,  or  just  within,  the  edge  of  the  river ;  and  John, 
passing  along  before  them,  threw  water  upon  their  heads  or 
faces,  with  his  hands  or  with  some  proper  instrument.'''' 

The  name  of  this  divine  ought  always  to  be  mentioned 
with  respect ;  but  this  exposition  is  truly  ridiculous,  and 
is  sarcastically,  but  yet  ingeniously,  paraphrased  in  a  poem 
attributed  to  the  late  Benjamin  Francis. 

"  The  Jews  in  Jordan  were  baptiz'd. 
Therefore  ingenious  John  devis'd 
A  scoop  or  squirt,  or  some  such  thing. 
With  which  some  water  he  might  fling 
Upon  the  long  extended  rank 
Of  candidates,  that  lin'd  the  bank. 
Be  careful,  John,  some  drops  may  fall 
From   your  rare  instrument  on  all ; 
But  point  your  engine,  ne'ertheless. 
To  those  who  do  their  sins  confess. 
Let  no   revilers  in  the  crowd. 
The  holy  sprinkling  be  allow'd." 

We  have  seen,  not  long  since,  that  John  the  Baptist 
has  been  most  extravagantly  extolled  by  the  Roman  Cath- 
clicks  ;  but  it  appears  that  many  modern  Pedo-baptists 
very  lightly  esteem  both  John  and  his  ministry.  They 
would  fain  make  us  believe  that  the  baptism  which  he  ad- 
ministered, was  not  gospel  baptism,  but  was  merely  a  con 

*  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  14. 


John's  MinisUy  the  Begiiimng  of  the  Gospel.         51 

tiniiation  of  Jewish  ablutions,  and  that  the  gospel  dispensa- 
tion did  not  commence  until  after  his  death.  By  this  sup- 
position, John  is  left  in  a  forlorn  condition,  for  he  is  neither 
a  Jew  nor  christian,  he  is  neither  an  Old-Testament  priest, 
nor  a  New-Testament  minister,  but  stands  like  the  young 
ass-colt,  where  two  ways  met,  and  is  not  permitted  to  go  in 
either. 

The  JeiDS  sent  priests  and  Lcvitesio  ask  of  him,  Who  art 
thou  ?  And  at  another  time  they  acknon  ledged  they  knew 
not  whether  his  baptism  was  from  heaven  or  of  men.  But 
notwithstanding  all  this  the  Pedo-baptists  of  the  present 
day  turn  him  over  to  the  Jewish  side.  Such  attempts  are 
worthy  the  cause  which  requires  their  aid.  Mark  calls 
John's  ministry.  The  beginning  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christy  the  Son  of  God.  The  Pedo-baptists  are  at  liberty 
to  make  their  own  expositions  ;  but  the  Baptists  are  will- 
ing  to  believe  that  Mark's  statement  is  correct.  This  nov- 
el notion  of  placing  John  under  the  law,  leads  to  another 
absurdity  respecting  the  baptism  of  the  Saviour.  A  few 
years  since  a  pamphlet  was  published  with  this  very  singu- 
lar title,  "  The  Baptism  of  Jesus  Christ  not  to  be  imitated 
by  Christians  !!"  The  title  of  this  piece  is  shocking  to  an 
obedient  mind,  and  its  contents  are  altogether  frivolous 
and  absurd.  They  go  to  make  John  a  Jewish  priest,  and 
that  when  he  baptized  the  Saviour,  he  did  it  with  a  view 
to  introduce  him  into  his  priestly  ofEce.  This  singular 
work  was  published  by  two  Pedo-baptist  ministers, 
W'hose  names  were  Fish  and  Crane.  I  know  not  why 
two  learned  divines  should  unite  to  publish  a  pamphlet, 
unless  it  were  that  its  contents  were  so  novel  and  strange, 
that  neither  was  willing  to  take  the  responsibility  of  it 
alone.  But  they  had  no  occasion  for  fear  ;  any  thing  that 
can  afford  the  least  relief  to  the  tottering  cause  of  infant 
baptism,  will  be  sure  to  gain  credit  with  its  fearful  advo- 
cates. The  baptism  of  Jesus  Christ  not  to  be  imitated  by 
christians^  and  John  consecrating  Christ  into  the  priestly 
office,  were  great  discoveries  ;  they  wei-e  handed  from  one 
to  another,  and  have  gone  an  extensive  round  of  Essayists 
and  Pamphleteers. 

These  groundless  propositions  have  been  amply  refuted 
by  many  Baptist  writers,  and  particularly  by  Dr.  Baldwin, 
in  his  late  work  on  baptism.     The  substance  of  his  argu= 


52  John  not  a  Jeviish  Priest, 

ments  is  as  follows  :  Had  Christ  been  about  to  be  conse- 
crated into  the  priestly  office,  John,  with  his  garment  of 
camel's  hair,  and  a  girdle  of  skin  about  his  loins,  was  not 
the  person  to  officiate  on  such  an  occasion  ;  but  it  belong- 
ed to  the  sons  of  Aaron,  with  their  priestly  vestments — 
And  again,  the  consecration  was  to  be  at  the  door 
of  the  tabernacle,  and  not  on  the  bank,s  of  Jordan — And 
again,  none  but  the  tribe  of  Levi  and  the  house  of  Aaron 
could  be  admitted  to  the  Jewish  priesthood.  But  it  is  evi- 
dent our  Lord  sprang  out  of  Judah,  of  which  tribe  Moses 
spake  nothing  concerning  priesthood* — And,  finally, 
Christ  was  a  priest  after  the  order  of  Melchisedec,  and 
not  after  the  order  of  Aaron. f 

These  passages  need  no  comment ;  they  carry  with 
them  their  own  invincible  testimony,  that  our  Saviour  was 
not  consecrated  a  Jewish  priest,  and  that  his  baptism  was 
not  a  Jewish  ceremony,  but  a  christian  rite.  The  Baptists 
have  derived  j>eculial-  consolation  from  being  buried  with 
their  Lord  in  obedience  to  his  command,  and  in  imitation 
of  his  example.  And  they  have  never  felt  conscious  of 
any  great  impiety  or  presumption  in  so  doing,  ail  that 
Messrs.  Fish,  and  Crane,  and  Worcester,  and  others,  have 
said  notwithstanding.^ 

I  have  been  longer  on  the  history  of  John's  baptism, 
than  I  should  have  been,  were  it  not  that  so  many 
are  attempting  to  reason  out  of  countenance  this  ancient 
and  eminent  character,  and  set  at  nought,  or  at  least  Juda- 
ize  all  his  important  ministrations.  Had  his  name  been 
John  the  Pedo- baptist,  and  had  it  been  said  that  he  sprink- 
led men,  women,  and  children^  \\\  the  synagogue  and  in 
the  temple,  from  a  bowl  or  bason,  it  is  highly  probable 
that  thousands  who  are  now   seeking  to  invalidate   his  im- 

*  Heb.  vii.  14.  f  Baldwin  on  Baptism,  p.  300 — 303. 

^  Dr.  Worcester,  of  Salem,  in  a  late  piece  upon  baptism,  has  the  follow- 
ing  interrogation  :  "  Does  not  the  idea,  then,  of  following  Christ  into  the  wa- 
ter, which  has  imhappily  so  powerful  an  effect  upon  many  minds,  partake 
very  much  of  the  natvu-e  of  delusion  and  superstition  ?" 

"  Christ's  baptism,"  saith  he,  **  was  designed  regularly  to  introduce  him 
into  his  priestly  office,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses,  under  which  he 
t^ommenced  his  ministry,  and  which  it  behoved  him  to  fulfil." 

'•  There  is  no  evidence  that  Christ  was  buried  in  the  water  ;  and  even  if 
lie  were,  his  baptism  was  of  an  import  very  different  from  that  of  the  baptism, 
ivhich  he  afterwards  instituted  for  his  followers.  Are  we  to  go  into  the  wa- 
ter under  the  idea  of  following  Christ — into  his  priestly  office  ?  Ought  we  to 
Cj-.tl  this  (^fiuaion  and  yufierstition,  or  ought  we  to  call  it  Ihe  height  of  impiety  .?'1 


Immersion  the  primime  Mode  of  Baptism.  S^ 

portant  offices,  would  have  found  him  a  place  in  the  gospel 
dispensation,  and  considered  him  a  very  important  character. 

The  whole  account  of  baptism  in  the  New-Testament  is 
plain  and  intelligible,  and  the  state  of  this  ordinance,  dur- 
ing the  lives  of  the  apostles,  is  to  be  gathered  mostly 
from  the  book  of  Acts,  written  by  Luke,  the  first  ecclesi- 
astical historian.  It  extends  from  the  ascension  of  Christ 
to  the  residence  of  Paul  at  Rome,  a  space  of  more  than 
thirty  years. 

"  In  this  book  there  are  frequent  narrations  of  the  bap- 
tism of  believers,  as  of  Cornelius,  the  Ethiopian  eunuch, 
and  others,  but  not  one  infant  appears  in  the  whole  histo- 
ry ;  yet,  no  doubt,  some  christians  had  married,  and  had 
young  families  within  the  thirty  years  between  the  ascen- 
sion of  Jesus  and  the  settlement  of  Paul  at  Rome.  There 
is  no  mention  of  any  of  the  ceremonies,  which  modern 
christians  have  affixed  to  baptism  :  no  consecration  of  wa- 
ter, no  sprinkling,  no  use  of  oils  and  unguents,  no  spon- 
sors, no. kneeling  in  the  water,  no  catechumen-state,  no 
giving  a  name,  no  renunciation  of  any  demon,  none  of  the 
innumerable  additions,  which,  under  pretence  of  adorning, 
have  obscured  the  glory  of  this  heavenly  institute.  It  be, 
longs  to  those  who  practise  such  additions,  to  say  how  they 
came  by  them,  and  under  what  master  they  serve." 

From  writers  of  unquestionable  authority,  it  is  evident, 
that  the  primitive  christians  continued  to  baptize  in  rivers> 
pools,  and  baths,  until  about  the  middle  of  the  3d  century, 
Justin  Martyr  says,  that  they  went  with  the  catechumens 
to  a  place  where  there  was  water,  and  Tertullian  adds,  that 
the  candidates  for  baptism  made  a  profession  of  faith  twice, 
once  in  the  church,  and  then  again  when  they  came  to  the 
water,  and  it  was  quite  indifferent  whether  it  were  the  sea, 
or  a  pool,  a  lake,  or  a  river,  or  a  bath.  Such  are  the  ac- 
counts given  by  Justin  Martyr  in  his  Apology,  and  by 
Tertullian  on  baptism  as  quoted  by  Robinson. 

The  sacramenj^.of  baptism,  says  Mosheim,  was  admin- 
istered in  the  first  century,  without  the  public  assemblies, 
in  places  appointed  and  prepared  for  that  purpose,  and  was 
performed  by  immersion  of  the  whole  body  in  the  bap- 
tismal fount.* 

•  Ecclesiastical  History,  Philadelphia  edition,  vol.  I.  p.  126^ 


S4  General  Obser'uations. 

Had  the  professed  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ  always  main- 
tained this  plain  and  significant  rite,  according  to  its  prim- 
itive form,  the  history  of  baptism  would  have  been  short, 
and  an  account  of  persons  baptized,  and  the  reasons  and  cir- 
cumstances of  their  baptism  would  have  composed  it. 
But  now  the  case  is  far  different.  The  fancies,  the  pas- 
sions, and  interests  of  mankind,  have  so  perverted  this 
heavenly  institute,  that  its  history  has  become  difficult  and 
voluminous ;  and  so  greatly  has  it  been  varied,  abused, 
and  prostituted,  that  in  different  parts  of  its  progress,  you 
see  no  resemblance  of  its  original  form,  except  that  some 
portion  of  the  element  of  water  is  applied  to  animal  beings  in 
human  shape.  And  since  so  large  a  portion  of  the  chris- 
tian world  has  received  by  inheritance  a  counterfeit  bap- 
tism, which  they  will  not  give  up,  he,  who  would  plead 
for  that,  vi^hich  is  apostolical  and  pure,  must  work  his  way 
against  ten  thousand  opponents,  all  armed  with  different 
weapons  of  defence,  some  forcible  and  some  futile,  but 
none  of  them  capable  of  producing  the  least  conviction  upon 
an  enlightened  and  conscientious  mind. 

We  must  now  leave  the  apostolical  and  primitive  ages, 
for  a  wide  wilderness  of  obscurity  and  errour  ;  and  in  go- 
ing over  it,  we  shall  but  just  glance  at  the  most  remarka- 
ble occurrences,  which  present  themselves  to  our  view. 

The  history  of  baptism  naturally  divides  itself  into  two 
branches  ;  the  one  regards  the  subjects,  and  the  other  the 
mode.  These  two  branches,  we  shall,  for  the  most  part, 
treat  separately  ;  but,  in  some  cases,  it  will  be  proper  to 
speak  of  them  in  connexion. 

The  limits  of  this  sketch  are  so  short,  and  the  incidents 
to  be  thrown  together  so  numerous  and  varied,  that  the 
transitions  must  of  necessity  be  frequent,  and  they  may  not 
always  be  the  most  easy  ;  but  I  trust,  that  in  the  end,  eve- 
ry unprejudiced  reader  will  be  convinced,  that  believers' 
baptism  is  an  institution  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  infant 
sprinkling  is  an  invention  of  men. 

The  subjects  of  baptism  deserve  first  to  be  considered. 
We  have  already  seen  that  believing  men  and  women  were 
the  only  persons  baptized  by  John  and  the  apostles  of  our 
Lord.  From  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  from  the  Epistles, 
and  from  the  book  of  Revelation,  it  appears  that  upwards 
of  sixty  churches  were  gathered  by  the  apostles  and  prim- 


Tertidlian  the  first  ijoho  mentions  Infant  Baptism.       55 

itive  preachers.  These  churches  were  constituted  of  Jews, 
Proselytes,  and  Pagans  ;  we  have  an  account  of  many  of 
their  names,  characters,  and  baptisms,  but  no  mention  is 
made  of  the  baptism  of  infants,  and  on  no  occasion  do  in- 
fants appear. 

A  Roman  Catholick  does  not  hesitate  to  acknowledsfe, 
that  infant  baptism  is  a  human  tradition  ;  but  he  can  prove 
that  it  has  been  established  by  law — that  is  sufficient  for  his 
purpose,  and  there  is  an  end  of  the  business  with  him. 
But  most  protestants  are  unwilling  to  make  this  honest  con- 
fession. They  persist  that  it  is  found  in  the  Bible,  ai^d 
their  attempts  to  prove  it  have  cost  them  an  almost  infinite 
deal  of  labour,  which,  after  all,  is  to  no  purpose. 

Irenasus  is  represented  as  saying.  The  church  received 
a  tradition  from  the  apostles  to  administer  baptism  to  little 
children  or  infants.  Irenaeus  lived  in  the  second  century  ; 
he  is  said  to  have  been  a  disciple  of  Polycarp,  and  Poly- 
carp  was  a  disciple  of  John  the  Evangelist.  This  would 
seem  to  be  getting  within  between  one  and  two  hundred 
years  of  the  point.  But  Dr.  John  Gill  challenged  the 
whole  literary  world  to  produce  such  a  passage  from  the 
>vritings  of  Irenseus.  It  was  afterwards  acknowledged  that 
Origen,  of  the  third  century,  and  not  Irenagus  of  the  second, 
was  the  writer  intended.* 

But  it  is  generally  supposed  that  Tertullian  of  Africa,  in 
the  third  century,  is  the  first  writer  who  makes  any  men- 
tion of  infant  baptism,  and  he,  (says  Dr.  Gill)  opposed  it. 
But  his  opposition  is  considered  by  Pedo-baptists  as  evi- 
dence in  the  case.  If,  say  they,  infant  baptism  was  not  then 
practised,  why  did  this  father  oppose  it  '?  But  others  make 
very  different  reflections  on  the  subject.  The  catechumen 
state  had  arisen  to  some  degree  of  maturity  in  the  third 
century.  Catechumens  were  those  who  were  put  into  a 
class  to  be  catechised  and  instructed  into  the  first  rudi- 
ments ot  Christianity,  and  when  they  had  acquired  a  certain 
degree  of  knowledge,  or  had  been  in  a  catechumen  state 
a  certain  time,  they  were  baptized.  This  method  of 
making  christians  is  supposed  to  have  originated  at  Alex- 
andria in  Egypt,  and  from  thence  in  process  of  time, 
spread  over  the  christian  world.  Nothing  of  this  catechu- 
men state  is  found  in  the  New-Testament,   and  at  what 

*  Backus'  History,  vol  II.  p.  238. 


56      Catechumen  State, . , .  Children  admitted  to  Baptism. 

time  it  commenced,  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  ;  but  it 
was  probably  towards  the  close  of  the  second,  or  in  the 
beginning  of  the  third  century.  It  gained  maturity  in  its 
progress,  and  continued  a  popular  and  prevalent  establish- 
ment, so  long  as  it  was  needful.  Catechumens  were  gen- 
erally persons  in  a  state  of  minority  ;  sometimes,  however, 
those  of  mature  age  were  enrolled  among  the  children, 
and  when  Christianity  became  a  political  engine,  princes 
were  added  to  the  lists,  and  were  catechised  awhile  before 
they  were  baptized.  The  catechumen  state  continued  as 
long  as  minors  were  the  subjects  of  baptism,  but  when  it 
was  found  out  by  the  skilful  priests,  that  infants  came  into 
the  world  crying  for  baptism^  and  that  they  would  be 
doomed  to  eternal  perdition  if  they  should  die  without  it, 
the  business  of  catechising  became  not  only  useless,  but 
impracticable  ;  godfathers  and  godmothers  stood  forward 
to  answer  all  the  questions  which  children  used  to  answer 
for  themselves  ;  they  took  the  whole  responsibility  of 
their  faithfulness  upon  themselves,  and  promised  what 
was  never  or  seldom  performed,  either  by  the  children  or 
sponsors.  The  catechumen  state  being  thus  superseded 
by  a  more  expeditious  method  of  making  christians,  it 
dwindled  away  and  fell  into  disuse. 

It  is  easy  to  conceive,  that  among  catechised  children, 
some  would  be  more  forward  than  the  rest,  and  of  course 
would  be  prepared  for  baptism  at  an  earlier  age.  A  French 
Catholick  writer  observes,  that  he  saw  a  little  child  in  the 
country,  who,  at  seven  years  of  age,  would  promiscuously 
open  the  Greek  Testament,  and  read  and  explain  it  with 
facility.  "  1  heard,"  says  he,  "  of  two  other  infants^ 
brother  and  sister,  the  one  nine  years  of  age,  the  other 
eleven  or  twelve,  speak  Greek  and  Latin  perfectly 
well."  A  little  superstition,  of  which  there  are  numberless 
curious  instances,  added  to  such  cases,  handed  baptism 
downwards  from  minors  to  babes. 

A  monumental  inscription  in  Italy  informs  the  reader, 
that  Joanna  Baptista  de  Peruschis,  daughter  of  Alexander 
de  Peruschis,  and  Beatrix  Gorzei,  when  she  was  only  six 
months  old,  mostly,  sweetly,  and  freely  pronounced  the 
name  of  Jesus  every  day  before  she  sucked  the  breast,  and 
mostly >  devoutly  adored  the  images  of  the  saints.^' 

*  Robinson's  Hist.  Baptism,  p.  157*  158. 


TertuUian^s  Arguments  against  Infant  Baptism,       57 

It  seems  pretty  clear,  that  forward  children  laid  the 
foundation  for  infant  baptism,  but  other  and  more  powerful 
motives  hastened  its  progress,  as  we  shall  presently  show. 

But  to  return  :  In  Tertullian's  time  some  had  begun,  or 
were  about  beginning  to  baptize  infants,  that  is,  minors, 
who  could  ask  for  baptism.  When  Tertullian  was  inform- 
ed of  this  business,  he  wrote  a  book  to  oppose  it,  in  which 
we  find  the  following  passage.  "  The  condescension  of 
God  may  confer  his  favours  as  he  pleases  ;  but  our  wishes 
may  mislead  ourselves  and  others.  It  is,  therefore,  most 
expedient  to  defer  baptism,  and  to  regulate  the  administra- 
tion of  it,  according  to  the  condition,  the  disposition,  and 
the  age  of  the  person  to  be  baptized  ;  and  especially  in  the 
case  of  little  ones.*  What  necessity  is  there  to  expose 
sponsors  to  danger  ?  Death  may  incapacitate  them  for  ful- 
filling their  engagements  ;  or  bad  dispositions  may  defeat 
all  their  endeavours.  Indeed,  the  Lord  saith,  forbid  them 
not  to  come  unto  me  ;  and  let  them  come  while  they  are 
growing  up,  let  them  come  and  learn,  and  let  them  be  in- 
structed when  they  come,  and  when  they  understand  Chris- 
tianity, let  them  profess  themselves  christians." 

In  the  year  1700,  Dr.  Mather,  one  of  the  Massachu- 
setts divines,  complained  that  there  were  reports,  that 
some  of  the  Congregational  churches  received  members 
on  the  strength  of  written  relations  of  their  religious  ex- 
perience, \ihich  had  been  dictated  by  their  ministers. 
This  was  a  strange  thing  in  his  day,  and  it  would  doubt- 
less have  shocked  and  grieved  this  good  old  man,  if  he 
could  have  foreseen  that  the  churches  of  his  order,  w'ould, 
in  a  short  time  after,  get  to  receiving  members,  without  any 
relations  either  written  or  verbal,  and  that  some  would  hold 
that  a  minister  who  knew  himself  destitute  of  saving  grace, 
might  preach  the  gospel  and  administer  its  ordinances.f 

So  Tertullian  had  but  just  heard  the  report  of  the  inno- 
vations which  were  about  to  be  introduced  in  the  Church 
of  Christ.  He  had  but  some  faint  intimations  of  that 
flood  of  errour,  in  regard  to  baptism,  which,  in  a  few 
succeeding  centuries,  deluged  the  christian  world. 

*  The  word,  here  translated  little  ones,  is,  in  the  original  par^aulos,  which, 
we  shall  show  presently,  was  used  then  for  minors,  who  might  be  of  every 
age  under  twenty -one, 

•}■  Backus'  History,  vol.  II.  p.  26 — 33. 

VOL.    I.  8 


58    Infant  Baptism  not  knoivn  in  the  Apostolick  Age, 

But  before  we  proceed,  it  may  be  proper  to  subjoin  the 
testimony  of  two  following  Pedo-baptist  writers.  The 
first  is  a  learned  divine  of  Geneva,  who  succeeded  the  fa- 
mous Episcopius  in  the  professorship  at  Amsterdam,  in 
the  seventeenth  century.  This  learned  writer  thus 
frankly  acknowledges  :  "  Pedo-baptism  was  unknown  in 
the  two  first  ages  after  Christ  ;  in  the  third  and  fourth  it 
was  approved  by  a  few  ;  at  length,  in  the  fifth  and  follow- 
ing, it  began  to  obtain  in  divers  places  ;  and  therefore  this 
rite  is  indeed  observed  by  us  as  an  ancient  custom,  but 
not  as  an  apostolick  tradition.''^  The  other  is  Bishop  Tay- 
loi\  who  calls  infant  baptism  "  a  /jr^rew^t'^  apostolical  tra- 
dition ;"  but  further  says,  "that  the  tradition  cannot  be 
pro=ved  to  be  apostolical,  we  have  i)ery  good  emdence  from  an- 
tiquity.'^'''^ These  are  honest  and  fair  concessions,  and  if  all 
Pedo- baptists  would  make  the  same,  their  cause  would 
stand  on  as  good  a  foundation  as  it  now  does,  and  they 
would  save  themselves  much  labour  and  care. 

The  account  of  TertuUian's  opposing  the  baptism  of 
little  ones,  who  were  capable  of  asking  for  it,  but  who,  in 
his  opinion,  were  not  sufficiently  enlightened  to  be  admit- 
ted to  the  sacred  rite,  was  in  the  beginning  of  the  third 
century.  About  the  middle  of  this  century,  that  is,  about 
forty  years  after  the  account  of  TertuUian,  the  people  in 
Africa  had  got  baptism  down  from  catechised  minors  to 
new-born  babes,  and  Fidus,  a  country  bishop,  wrote  to  Cy- 
prian of  Carthage,  to  know  whether  children  might  be  bap- 
tized before  they  were  eight  days  old,  for  by  his  Bible  he 
could  not  tell ;  nor  could  Cyprian  tell,  without  first  consulting 
a  council  or  association  of  bishops,  which  was  about  to  be 
assembled.  When  the  council  met,  which  consisted  of  be- 
tween sixty  or  seventy  bishops,  after  some  other  business  had 
been  transacted,  Fidus'  question  was  brought  before  them. 
Fidus  thought  that  infants  ought  to  be  baptized  at  eight 
days  old,  because  the  law  of  circumcision  prescribed  this 
time.  "  No,"  replied  the  council,  "  God  denies  grace  to 
none  ;  Jesus  came  not  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save 
them,  and  we  ought  to  do  all  we  can  to  save  our  fellow 
creatures.  Besides,"  added  they,  "  God  would  be  a  re- 
specter of  persons  if  he  denied  to  inllints  what  he  grants 
to  adults.     Did  not  the  prophet  Elisha  lay  upon  a  child, 

•  Baldwin's  Letters  to  Worcester,  p.  167^  168. 


In  ijohat  Part  of  Africa  Christianity  ^as  planted.       59 

und  put  his  mouth  upon  his  mouth,  and  his  eyes  upon  his 
eyes,  and  his  hands  upon  his  hands  ?  Now  the  spiritual 
sense  of  this  is,  that  infants  are  equal  to  men  ;  but  if  you 
refuse  to  baptize  them,  you  destroy  this  equahty,  and  are 
partial."^ 

Some  other  questions  were  agitated  respecting  new-born 
infants,  which  might  do  well  enough  for  African  bishops 
to  discuss,  but  which  might  be  somewhat  offensive  to  a 
modern  ear. 

The  reader  may  here  see,  what  kind  of  arguments  were 
used  at  first  to  support  infant  baptism,  and  it  must  be  ac- 
knowledged that  they  are  about  as  good  as  ever  have  been 
discovered  since. 

We  hear  but  little  more  about  infant  baptism,  until  the 
fifth  century,  that  is,  until  the  year  416,  when  it  was  de- 
creed in  the  council  of  Mela,  of  which  St.  Austin  was  the 
principal  director,  *'  That  whosoever  denieth  that  infants 
newly  born  of  their  mothers  are  to  be  baptized,  let  him  be 
accursed."* 

This  council  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  held  at 
Mela,  inNumidia,  now  in  the  kingdom  of  Algiers.  Ac- 
cording to  others  it  was  held  in  the  island  of  Malta. 
Thirteen  years  after  this  council,  this  part  of  Africa  was 
overrun  by  the  Vandals,  and  the  Catholicks  here  were 
dispersed,  and  some  of  them  fled  into  Europe,  and  carried 
with  them  infant-baptism,  superstition,  and  intolerance. 

As  Africa  has  been  frequently  mentioned  in  the  preced- 
ing narrative,  it  may  be  proper  to  observe  what  part  of 
that  dark  quarter  of  the  globe  is  intended.  A  person,  ac- 
quainted with  ecclesiastical  history,  will  need  no  explana- 
tion, but  others,  into  whose  hands  this  work  may  fall, 
may  desire  one. 

Africa,  v/hich  is  now  generally  in  a  deplorable  state  of 
ignorance,  once  contained  a  number  of  civilized  king- 
doms, famous  for  commerce  and  the  liberal  arts.  Among 
these  Carthage  was  probably  the  most  distinguished.     It 

•  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  197. 

f  "  An  honest  indignation,"  says  Robinson,  "  rises  at  the  sound  of  this 
tyranny,  and  if  a  man  were  driven  to  the  necessity  of  choosing  one  saint  out 
of  two  candidates,  it  would  not  be  Saint  Austin,  it  would  be  Saint  Balaam^ 
the  son  of  Bosor,  who,  indeed,  loved  the  wages  of  unrighteousness,  as  many 
other  saints  have  done,  but  with  all  his  madness,  had  respect  enough  for  tha 
Beity  to  say,  Hov)  shall  Jcurte  ixhom  God  hath  not  cursed  I" 


60  Infant  Baptism  introduced  into  Europe* 

was  situated  on  the  north  of  Africa,  along  the  southern 
shore  of  the  Mediterranean  sea,  where  are  now  the 
Barbary  States  of  Tunis,  Algiers,  and  so  on.  Carthage 
once  vied  with  Rome  in  power ;  but  it  was  finally 
subdued  by  her,  and  reduced  to  a  province.  It  was  over- 
run by  the  Vandals  in  the  fifth  century,  and  by  the  Sara- 
cens in  the  seventh ;  and  from  that  period,  Mahometan- 
ism  has  been  the  established  religion  of  the  country.  In 
this  part  of  Africa,  Christianity  was  planted  in  early  times, 
and  here  too  it  w'as  early  corrupted.  Here,  and  not  in 
Judea,  infant  baptism  originated,  as  is  evident  to  every 
candid  investigator  of  historical  facts. 

The  limits  of  this  sketch  will  not  permit  us  to  give  a 
circumstantial  account  of  the  progress  of  the  baptism  of 
babes;  but  it  is  sufficient  to  observe,  that  it  gained  ground, 
at  first,  by  slovv^  degrees,  so  strongly  did  scripture  and 
reason  operate  against  it ;  but  having  enlisted  on  its  side, 
the  interested  views  of  priests  and  princes,  and  the  tender 
feelings  of  anxious  mothers,  who  were  taught  to  believe, 
that  their  babes  would  be  doomed  to  the  gulf  of  ruin,  if 
they  died  without  this  renovating  rite,  then  called  the  laver 
of  regeneration  ;  under  these  circumstances,  infant-bap- 
tism began  most  rapidly  to  prevail,  and  in  a  few  centuries 
overrun  the  whole  cathoiick  church. 

We  have  seen  that  infant  baptism  arose  in  Africa,  that 
the  baptism  of  minors  began  to  be  practised  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  third  century,  and  that  the  baptism  of  new- 
born babes  was  determined  under  awful  anathemas,  by 
Saint  Austin's  council  at  Mela,  in  the  fifth  century.  But 
its  entrance  into  Europe  is  of  a  later  date.  The  first  ec- 
clesiastical canon  in  Europe,  for  infant  baptism,  was  fram- 
ed at  Girona  in  Spain  in  the  sixth  centur}^,  and  the  first 
imperial  law  to  establish  the  practice,  was  made  in  the 
eighth  century,  by  the  Emperour  Charlemagne.  The 
council  at  Girona  consisted  of  only  seven  obscure  bish- 
ops, who  met  without  authority,  but  who  legislated  with 
some  effect,  for  people  began  to  be  concerned  about  the 
salvation  of  their  children.  This  council  framed  ten  rules 
of  discipline.  One  was,  "that  catechumens  should  be 
baptized  only  at  Easter  and  Pentecost,  except  in  case  of 
sickness ;  and  another  was,  that  in  case  infants  were  ill  and 
would  not  suck  their  mother's  milk,  if  they  were  offered, 


Infant  Baptism  hastened  forvjard.  61 

to  baptize  them,  even  though  it  were  the  day  they  were 
born."  Charlemagne's  law  to  establish  infant  baptism  was 
almost  three  hundred  years  after  this  council.  The  prac- 
tice was  then  generally  prevalent,  and  this  Eniperour,  for 
political  purposes,  obliged  the  Saxons,  on  pain  of  death,  to 
be  baptized  themselves,  and  laid  heavy  fines  on  those  who 
should  neglect  to  have  their  children  baptized  within  the 
year  of  their  birth.* 

Now  priests  had  no  further  trouble  to  vindicate  the 
cause  of  infant  baptism,  popes  and  princes  had  undertaken 
to  manage  the  cause ;  it  was  established  by  laws  civil  and 
ecclesiastical,  and  if  any  dared  to  oppose  it,  fire  and 
sword  ended  the  dispute. 

It  is  now  proper  that  we  should  go  back  to  the  time 
when  infant  baptism  began  to  gain  some  ground,  and  con- 
sider the  causes  which  hastened  its  progress. 

About  the  time  that  catechumen   minors  began  to  be 
baptized,  the  words  of  Christ,   "  Except  a  man  he  horn  of 
'water  and  of  the  Spirit^   he  cannot  enter  the  kingdom  of 
God,  were  misapplied  to  baptism.      This  erroneous  expo- 
sition led  to  an  undue  reliance  on  this  sacred  rite,  and 
many  began  to  extol  its  efficacy,  in  the  most  absurd  and 
extravagant  manner ;  and  represented  it  as  a  sure  and  sov- 
ereign antidote  to  all  the  moral   maladies  of  depraved  na- 
ture.    It  could  wash   away  original  sin,  and  place  in  a 
state  of  certain  and  everlasting  salvation,  all  to  whom  it 
was  applied  ;  and  more  than  all  this,  all  who  died  without 
it,  whether  infants  or  adults,  were  sure  of  eternal  misery. 
These  errours  were  not  all  introduced  at  once  ;    it  took 
some  time  to  bring  them  to  perfection.      But  while  they 
were  gaining  ground,  there  was  another  errour  considera- 
bly prevalent,   which  produced  an  inconvenient  collision 
with  the  former.     Some  held  to  a  doctrine  similar  to  the 
Arminian  notion   of  falling  from  grace,   and  many   were 
afraid  that  they  should  relapse  into  sin  after  their  baptism, 
and  thereby  lose  all  its  salutary  benefits.      This  led  Con- 
stantine  and  many  others  to  defer  their  baptism    till  near 
the  close  of  life.     And  this  again  led  into  the  practice  of 
pouring  and  sprinkling  in  baptism,  iijstead  of  immersion, 
the  then  universally  prevalent  mode.     These  people  who 
had  deferred  their  baptism,    were  often  suddenly  alarmed 

*  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  269—282. 


62  Baptism  exalted  to  an  extravagant  Degree. 

with  the  prospect  of  death.  Sickness  disabled  them  from 
going  to  the  baptismal  font,  and  misery  was  their  portion 
if  they  died  unbaptized,  and  in  this  painful  dilemma, 
they  made  the  best  shift  they  could,  and  were  sprinkled 
if  they  could  not  be  immersed.  But  this  inconvenience 
was  of  no  long  duration,  for  as  soon  as  parents  were  made 
to  believe  that  baptism  was  the  laver  of  regeneration, 
they  were  careful  that  all  their  children  should  be  washed 
in  it,  as  soon  as  they  were  born,  and  their  relapsing  or  rather 
continuing  in  sin  was  another  affair. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  period  in  which  baptism 
was  exalted  to  a  most  astonishing  pre-eminence.  Its  effi- 
cacy was  the  constant  theme  of  pulpit  declaimers,  and  its 
praises  were  chanted  by  all  who  could  sing.  Laws  were 
enacted,  canons  were  made,  and  the  most  vigilant  precau- 
tions were  taken  by  popes  and  princes,  and  every  order  of 
ecclesiasticks,  by  nurses  and  midwives,  and  every  benev- 
olent creature  in  Christendom,  that  no  human  being,  wheth- 
er adult  or  infant,  whether  born  or  unborn,  should  depart 
to  the  world  of  spirits  without  this  heavenly  passport. 
Baptism,  indeed,  suffered  violence,  and  the  violent  took  it 
by  force. 

As  this  may  seem  a  mere  fanciful  reverie,  to  those  who 
have  not  studied  this  subject,  I  shall  here  quote  verbatim, 
Mr.  Robinson's  account  of  the  matter.  The  passage  may 
be  found  in  his  History  of  Baptism,  under  the  article  As- 
persion, where  the  authorities  are  quoted. 

"The  absolute  necessity  of  dipping  in  order  to  a  valid 
baptism  ;  and  the  indispensable  necessity  of  baptism,  in 
order  to  salvation,  were  two  doctrines  which  clashed, 
and  the  collision  kindled  up  a  sort  of  war,  between  the 
warm  bosoms  of  parents  who  had  children,  and  the  cold 
reasonings  of  monks,  who  had  few  sympathies.  The 
doctrine  was  cruel,  and  the  feelings  of  humanity  revolted 
against  it.  Power  may  give  law  ;  but  it  is  more  than 
power  can  do  to  make  unnatural  laws  sit  easy  in  the  minds 
of  men. 

"The  clergy  felt  the  inconvenience  of  this  state  of 
things,  for  they  were  obliged  to  attend  any  woman  in  la- 
bour at  a  moment's  warning,  night  or  day,  in  any  season, 
at  the  most  remote  parts  of  their  parishes,  without  the 
power  of  demanding  any  fee,  whenever  a  case  of  necessity 


Any  Body  licensed  to  baptize  Inja?its  likely  to  die.         63 

I'^quired,  and  if  they   neglected  their  duty,   they  were  se- 
verely punished. 

*'  A  great  number  of  expedients  were  tried  to  remedy 
this  evil ;  but  for  a  long  season  nothing  succeeded.  There 
v/as  a  regular  train  of  trials.  At  first,  infants  were  bap- 
tized along  with  catechumens  in  publick,  by  trine  immer- 
sion, at  two  times  in  the  year  ;  when  it  was  observed,  that 
some  died  before  the  season  for  baptizing  came,  priests 
were  empowered  to  baptize  at  any  time,  and  in  any  place 
in  case  of  sickness.  When  it  was  remarked  that  a  priest 
was  not  always  at  hand,  new  canons  empowered  him  to 
depute  others  to  perform  the  ceremony,  and  midwives  were 
licensed.  It  happened  sometimes,  while  the  midwife  was 
baptizing  a  child  not  like  to  live  many  minutes,  the  moth- 
er was  neglected  and  died.  To  prevent  such  accidenrs  in 
future,  it  was  decreed,  that  any  body,  licensed  or  unlicens- 
ed, a  Jew,  or  a  degraded  priest,  a  scullion  or  felon,  might 
baptize.  It  fell  out,  sometimes,  that  a  vessel  large  enough, 
or  a  quantity  of  water  sufficient  to  dip  an  infant,  could  not 
be  procured  on  a  sudden  ;  and  while  in  the  dead  of  the 
night,  and  perhaps  in  a  severe  frost,  the  assistants  were 
running  to  borrow  utensils,  or  to  procure  water,  the  ill- 
fated  infant  expired.  In  vain  were  laws  made  expressly 
to  require  pregnant  women,  to  have  every  thing  ready  pre- 
pared, the  law^s  of  nature  defied  human  controul,  the  evil 
was  incurable,  and  the  anguish  intolerable.  Some  infants 
died  the  moment  they  were  born,  others  before,  both  un- 
baptized,  and  all  for  the  comfort  of  the  miserable  mother, 
doomed  like  fiends  to  descend  instantly  to  a  place  of  tor- 
ment." 

In  the  year  1751,  a  humane  doctor  of  laws  of  Palermo, 
published  at  Milan,  in  the  Italian  tongue,  a  book  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  pages  in  quarto,  dedicated  to  all  the 
guardian  angcisj  to  direct  priests  and  physicians  how  to 
secure  the  eternal  salvation  of  infants  by  baptizing  them 
when  they  could  not  be  born.  The  surgical  instrument 
and  the  process  cannot  be  mentioned  here,  and  the  reader 
is  come  to  a  point  in  infant  sprinkling,  where  English 
modesty  compels  him  to  retreat  and  retire,  so  that  it  is  im 
possible  to  say  any  thing  more  on  lustrating  infants  by 
way  of  baptizing  them.* 

*  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  43.*^. 


64  Mode  of  Baptism. 

The  baptism  of  abortives  was  a  very  common  practice, 
but  this  also  is  a  subject  too  indelicate  to  be  discussed. 

It  may  be  well  for  Dr.  Osgood  to  read  these  accounts  of 
infant  baptism,  before  he  again  declaims  against  our  "  in- 
decorous" mode  of  baptizing. 

We  have  now  traced  the  baptism  of  babes  to  its  highest 
pitch  of  frenzy,  and  also  to  its  lowest  point  of  corruption 
and  debasement.  In  most  protestant  churches,  and  in 
many  parts  of  the  catholick  church,  it  has  been  practised 
in  a  more  rational  and  becoming  manner.  But  in  every 
form  it  is  an  absurd  and  useless  thing,  and  at  its  best 
estate  it  is  altogether  vanity.  The  baptism  of  a  believer  is 
an  interesting  thing,  but  the  sprinkling  of  a  new-born 
child,  is  an  unanimated,  insignificant  affair. 

It  was  customary  in  the  early  ages,  as  it  is  now  with  the 
Baptists,  for  ministers,  previous  to  baptism,  to  preach  on 
the  subject,  and  address  the  candidates  on  the  important 
business,  in  which  they  were  about  to  engage  ;  but  where 
infant  baptism  prevails,  this  custom,  for  good  reasons,  is 
generally  laid  aside,  for  they  who  are  the  most  interested 
in  the  matter,  are,  from  their  incapacity,  precluded  from 
participating  in  the  transaction.  It  would  be  a  curious 
sight  for  a  Reverend  Divine,  to  address  infants  in  their 
mothers'  or  nurses'  arms,  on  the  subject  of  baptism  ;  but 
such  a  thing,  ludicrous  as  it  might  seem,  would  be  just  as 
rational,  and  scriptural,  and  useful,  as  it  is  to  baptize 
them. 

THE    MODE    OF    BAPTISM. 

Baptism,  as  to  the  manner  of  its  administration,  has 
been  subject  to  a  great  variety  of  changes,  of  which  we 
shall  now  give  a  brief  account.  Baptism,  beyond  all 
doubt,  was  administered,  in  the  apostolick  age,  by  immer- 
sion, A  cloud  of  witnesses  bear  testimony  to  this  point, 
and  place  it  beyond  a  doubt  in  the  mind  of  every  candid 
and  unprejudiced  man. 

Ordinary  baptism  was  universally  performed  by  single 
or  trine  immersion  for  thirteen  hundred  years  ;  Irom  thence 
till  after  the  reformation,  it  was  generally  performed  by 
trine  immersion. 


Stephen  III.  allows  Pouring  to  he  valid  Baptism.       65 

Baptism  was  administered  by  pouring  or  sprinkling  iii 
cases  of  necessity  all  along  from  the  third  century  to  Cal- 
vin's time. 

The  first  appearance  of  sprinkling  for  baptism  was  m 
the  third  century,  in  Africa,  in  favour  of  clinicks  or  bed= 
ridden  people.  Baptism  was  now  considered  essential  to 
salvation  ;  the  poor  sick  people,  who  could  not  go 
to  the  baptistery,  but  were  in  danger  of  destruction  if  they 
died  unbaptized,  made  the  best  shift  they  could,  and  were 
sprinkled  as  they  lay  upon  their  beds.  But  the  African 
Catholicks  reputed  this  no  baptism,  or  at  least  a  very  im- 
perfect one. 

The  first  appearance  of  baptizing  by  pouring,  w-as  in 
the  eighth  century,  when  Pope  Stephen  III.  allowed  the 
validity  of  such  a  baptism  of  infants  in  danger  of  death. 
His  Infallible  Holiness  had  been  driven  from  Rome  by 
Astulphus,  king  of  the  Lombards ;  he  fled  to  France  to 
implore  the  assistance  of  Pepin,  who  had  lately  been  pro- 
claimed king.  During  his  residence  in  the  monastery  of 
St.  Denis,  some  monks  consulted  his  opinion  on  nineteen 
questions  ;  one  of  which  was,  whether  in  case  of  necessity y 
occasioned  by  the  illness  of  an  infant,  it  were  lawful  to 
baptize  by  pouring  water  out  of  the  hand  or  a  cup  on  the 
infant.  Stephen  answered,  if  such  a  baptism  were  per- 
formed in  such  a  case  of  necessity,  in  the  name  of  the  ho- 
ly Trinity,  it  should  be  held  valid.  The  learned  James 
Basanage  makes  several  very  proper  remarks  on  this  ca- 
non :  as  that  "  although  it  is  accounted  the  first  law  for 
sprinkling,  yet  it  doth  not  forbid  dipping ;  that  it  allows 
sprinkling  only  in  case  of  imminent  danger  :  that  the  au- 
thenticity of  it  is  denied  by  some  Catholicks  :  that  many 
laws  were  made  after  this  time  in  Germany,  France,  and 
England,  to  compel  dipping,  and  without  any  provision 
for  cases  of  necessity  :  therefore  that  this  law  did  not  alter 
the  mode  of  dipping  in  public  baptisms  :  and  that  it  was 
not  till  five  hundred  and  fifty  years  after,  that  the  Legisla- 
ture, in  a  council  at  Ravenna,  in  the  year  thirteen  hundred 
and  eleven,  declared  dipping  or  sprinkling  indifferent.'* 
The  answer  of  Stephen  is  the  true  origin  of  private  bap- 
tism and  of  sprinkling. - 

YOL.    I.  9 

*  Robyison,  p.  429,  430. 


66       Dr.  JFall  against  Sprinkling.. *.Cah'm  alioivs  ic. 

Modern  Pedo-baptist  writers  have  picked  up  historrcail 
scraps  of  these  clinical  and  necessitous  baptisms,  and  have 
endeavoured  to  derive  evidence  from  them  of  the  univer- 
sality of  infant  sprinkling.  I  say  modern  Pedo-baptists, 
for  Dr.  Wall,  who  was  a  strenuous  advocate  for  infant 
baptism,  also  warmly  contended  for  immersion.  He  pub- 
lished his  elaborate  History  of  Infant  Baptism  in  1705* 
This  work  ^vas  answered  by  Dr.  John  Gale,  a  famous 
General  Baptist,  in  a  very  learned  work,  entitled,  Reflec- 
tions, &c.  Dr.  Wall  published  a  Defence  of  his  History 
in  1720.  He  appears  to  have  been  half  right  and  half 
wrong,  and  he  was  as  strenuous  for  the  wrong  half  as  for 
the  right.  He  warmly  contends  that  infant  baptism  is  of 
divine  appointment,  and  he  as  warmly  contends  that  in- 
fant sprinkling  is  a  "  scandalous  thing."  "  Calvin,  (saith 
he)  was  I  think  the  first  in  the  world,  that  drew  up  a 
liturgy  that  prescribed  pouring  water  on  the  infant,  abso- 
lutely, without  saying  any  thing  of  dipping.  It  was  (as 
Mr.  Walker  has  shewn)  his  admirers  in  England,  who, 
in  queen  Elizabeth's  time,  brought  pouring  into  ordinary 
use,  which  before  was  used  only  to  weak  children.  But 
the  succeeding  Presbyterians  in  England,  about  1644, 
when  their  reign  began,  went  farther  yet  from  the  ancient 
way  ;  and  instead  of  pouring,  brought  into  use,  in  many 
places,  sprinkling;  declaring,  at  the  same  time,  against 
all  use  of  fonts,  baptisteries,"  &c. 

"  There  has  (saith  he  again)  no  novelty  or  alteration, 
that  I  know  of,  in  the  point  of  baptism,  been  brought  into 
the  churchy  but  in  the  way  and  manner  of  administering  it. 
The  way  that  is  now  ordinarily  used  we  cannot  deny  to  have 
been  a  novelty,  brought  into  this  church  (of  England)  by 
those  that  had  learned  it  in  Germany,  or  at  Geneva,  And 
they  were  not  contented  with  following  the  example  of 
pouring  a  quantity  of  water,  which  had  there  been  intro- 
duced instead  of  immersion,  but  improved  it,  (if  I  may  so 
abuse  that  word)  from  pouring  to  sprinkling,  that  it  might 
have  as  little  resemblance  of  the  ancient  way  of  baptizing 
as  possible." 

I  cannot  leave  this  ingenious  author,  before  I  select 
another  passage.  "  Another  struggle  (says  he,  whether 
the  child  shall  be  dipped  or  sprinkled)  will  be  with  the 
niidwives  and  nurses,  &c.     These  will  use  all  the  interest 


JVhen  Baptisteries  began  to  he  built.  67 

they  have  with  the  mothers,  which  is  very  great,  to  dis- 
sua'de  them  from  agreeing  to  the  dipping  of  the  child.  I 
know  no  particular  reason,  unless  it  be  this  :  A  thing, 
which  they  value  themselves  and  their  skill  much  upon,  is, 
the  neat  dressing  of  the  child  on  the  christening-day  ;  the 
setting  all  the  trimming,  the  pins,  and  the  laces,  in  their 
right  order.  And  if  the  child  be  brought  in  loose  clothes, 
which  may  presently  be  taken  off  for  the  baptism,  and  put 
on  again,  this  pride  is  lost :  And  this  makes  a  reason. 
So  little  is  the  solemnity  of  the  sacrament  regarded  bj*- 
marly,  who  mind  nothing  but  the  dress,  and  the  eating  and 
drinking."* 

Christians  at  first  baptized  in  rivers  and  fords,  and 
wherever  water  of  sufficient  depth  could  be  found. 
About  the  middle  of  the  third  century  baptisteries  began 
to  be  built.  They  at  first,  like  the  manners  and  conditions 
of  the  people,  were  very  simple,  and  were  merely  for  use  ; 
but  in  the  end  they  arose  to  as  high  degree  of  elegant  su- 
perstition, as  enthusiasm  could  invent. 

By  a  baptistery,  which  must  not  be  confounded  with  a 
modern  font,  is  to  be  understood  an  octagon  building, 
with  a  cupola  roof,  resembling  a  dome  of  a  cathedral ;  ad- 
jacent to  a  church,  but  no  part  of  it.  All  the  middle  part 
of  this  building  was  one  large  hall,  capable  of  containing 
a  great  multitude  of  people,  the  sides  were  parted  off, 
and  divided  into  rooms,  and,  in  some,  rooms  were  added 
without-side,  in  the  fashion  of  cloisters.  In  the  middle  of 
the  great  hall  was  an  octagon  bath,  which,  strictly  speak- 
ing, was  the  baptistery,  and  from  which  the  whole  building 
was  denominated.  This  was  called  the  pool,  the  pond, 
the  place  to  swim  in,  besides  a  great  number  of  other 
names  of  a  figurative  nature,  taken  from  the  religious  ben- 
efits, which  were  supposed  to  be  connected  with  baptism ; 
such  as  the  laver  of  regeneration,  the  luminary,  and  many 
more  of  the  same  parentage.  Some  had  been  natural  riv- 
ulets before  the  buildings  were  erected  over  them,  and  the 
pool  was  contrived  to  retain  water,  sufficient  for  dipping, 
and  to  discharge  the  rest.  Others  were  supplied  by  pipes, 
and  the  water  was  conveyed  into  one  or  more  of  the  side 
rooms.  Some  of  the  surrounding  rooms  were  vestries, 
pthers  school  rooms,  both  for  the  instruction  of  youth,  and 

»  Dr.  Wall's  Defence,  p.  146,  U7-,  4Q3. 


68      Baptistery  of  St.  Sophia.-  ..Extracts  from  Basil, 

for  transacting  the  affairs  of  the  church ;  and  councils  have 
been  held  in  the  great  halls  of  these  buildings.  It  was  ne- 
cessary they  should  be  capacious ;  for  as  baptism  was  adr 
ministered  only  twice  a  year,  the  candidates  were  numer- 
ous, and  the  spectators  more  numerous  than  they.* 

It  may  be  proper  here  to  give  a  brief  description  of  a 
few  of  those  splendid  buildings  which  were  erected  for 
the  purpose  of  performing  baptism  by  immersion. 

We  will  begin  with  the  one  attached  to  the  splendid 
church  of  St.  Sophia,  of  Constantinople,  '\\hich  church  is 
now  converted  into  a  Mahometan  mosque.  The  church 
of  St.  Sophia  was  built  by  Constantine,  the  first  christiaii 
emperour. 

Succeeding  emperours  amplified  and  adorned  it.  Jus- 
tinian at  an  immense  cost  rebuilt  it,  and  his  artists,  with  el- 
egance and  magnificence,  distributed  variegated  marbles 
of  exquisite  beauty,  gold,  silver,  ivory,  mosaick  work,  and 
endless  ornaments,  so  as  to  produce  the  most  agreeable 
and  lasting  effects  on  all  beholders. 

The  baptistery  was  one  of  the  appendages  of  this  spa- 
cious palace,  something  in  the  style  of  a  convocation-room 
in  a  cathedral.  It  was  very  large,  and  councils  have  been 
held  in  it,  and  it  was  called  the  great  Illuminatory.  In  the 
middle  was  the  bath,  in  which  baptism  was  administered  ; 
it  was  supplied  by  pipes,  and  there  were  outer  rooms  for 
all  concerned  in  the  baptism  of  immersion,  the  only  bap- 
tism of  the  place. 

Every  thing  in  the  church  of  St.  Sophia  goes  to  prove, 
that  baptism  was  administered  by  trine  immersion,  and 
only  to  instructed  persons ;  the  canon  laws,  the  officers, 
the  established  rituals,  the  Lent  sermons  of  the  prelateSj 
and  the  baptism  of  the  archbishops  themselves. f 

To  the  account  of  this  baptistery,  I  will  subjoin  the  fol- 
lowing extracts  from  the  discourses  of  Basil,  archbishop 
of  Caesarea,  which  may  serve  to  show  both  ho\v  and  for 
what  purpose  they  baptized  in  the  Greek  established 
church,  in  the  fourth  century. 

"  It  is  necessary  for  the  perfection  of  a  christian  life, 
that  we  should  imitate  Christ ;  not  only  such  holy  actions 
and  dispositions,  as  lenity,  modesty,  and  patience,  which 
}ie  exemplified   in  his  life,  but  also  his  death,  as   Paul 

f  Ilobinsou's  Hist,  of  Baptispi,  p.  59.       |  Ro|5inson,  p.  63. 


Extracts  from  BasW's  Discourses  on  Baptism.         69 

saith,  /  am  a  foUo'Voer  of  Christy  I  am  conformahle  to  his 
deaths  if  by  any  means  1  might  attain  nnto  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead.  How  can  we  be  placed  in  a  condition  of 
likeness  to  his  death  ?  By  being  buried  v:ith  liim  in  bap- 
tism. What  is  the  form  of  this  burial,  and  what  benefits 
flow  from  an  imitation  of  it  ?  First,  the  course  of  former 
life  is  stopped.  No  man  can  do  this,  unless  he  be  born 
again^  as  the  Lord  hath  said.  Regeneration,  as  the  word 
itself  imports,  is  the  beginning  of  a  new  life  ;  therefore, 
he  that  begins  a  new  life  must  put  an  end  to  his  former 
life.  Such  a  person  resembles  a  man  got  to  the  end  of  a 
race,  who,  before  he  sets  off  again,  turns  about,  pauses, 
and  rests  a  little  ;  so  in  a  change  of  life  it  seems  necessary 
that  a  sort  of  death  should  intervene,  putting  a  period  to 
the  past,  and  giving  a  beginning  to  the  future.  How  are 
we  to  go  down  with  him  into  the  grave  ?  By  imitating  the 
burial  of  Christ  in  baptism  ;  for  the  bodies  of  the  saints 
are,  in  a  sense,  buried  in  water.  For  this  reason  the 
Apostle  speaks  figuratively  of  baptism,  as  a  laying  aside 
the  works  of  the  flesh  ;  ye  are  circumcised  icith  the  circum- 
cision ?nade  without  hatids,  in  putting  off  the  body  of  the 
sins  of  the  flesh  by  the  circumcision  of  Christy  buried  witJi 
him  in  baptism. — Two  things  are  proposed  in  baptism  ; 
to  put  an  end  to  a  life  of  sin,  lest  it  should  issue  in  eternal 
death  ;  and  to  animate  the  soul  to  a  life  of  future  sanctifi- 
cation.  The  water  exhibits  an  image  of  death,  receiving 
the  body  as  into  a  sepulchre  ;  the  spirit  renews  the  soul, 
and  we  rise  from  a  death  of  sin  into  a  newness  of  life. 
This  is  to  be  born  from  abo^ue  of  water  and  the  Spirit  ;  as 
if  by  the  water  we  were  put  to  death,  and  by  the  opera- 
tion of  the  Spirit  brought  to  life. — If  there  be  any  benefit 
in  the  water,  it  is  not  from  the  water,  but  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Spirit ;  for  baptism  doth  not  sa^ue  us  by  putting 
away  the  filth  of  the  fleshy  but  by  the  answer  of  a  good  con- 
science toward  God.'''' It  seems  clear  that  the  homilies 

of  archbishop  Basil  were  addressed,  not  to  pagans  old  or 
young,  but  to  the  children  of  christians,  whom  he  calls 
the  church.  That  the  Greek  church  of  those  times  did 
not  force  a  profession  of  Christianity  upon  their  children, 
but  conducted  them  to  baptism  by  instruction  and  argu- 
ment— that  baptism  was  administered  by  trine  immersion — 
and  that,  as  the  sermons  of  their  bishops  were  intended  to 


70  Baptistery  at  Rome. 

persuade,  so  the  lessons  for  the  day,  read  openly  in  the 
church,  were  intended  to  explain  and  enforce  the  subject 
of  baptism.  Nothing  like  this  is  to  be  found  in  the  Lent 
sermons  of  modem  times  ;  and  a  translation  of  the  Lent 
homilies  of  the  ancient  Greek  bishops  could  not  be  read 
to  any  congregation  of  modern  christians,  without  great 
absurdity,  except  to  Baptist  assemblies,  and  there  they 
would  be  heard  in  raptures,  for  their  singular  propriety 
and  beauty.* 

The  baptistery  pertaining  to  the  church  of  St.  John 
Lateran,  at  Rome,  is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Robinson  : 
*'  A  traveller,  entering  Rome  by  the  gate  Del  Popoloy 
must  go  up  the  street  Strada  Felice,  till  he  arrive  at  the 
church  St.  John  Lateran.  Turning  in  and  passing  along 
through  the  church,  he  must  go  out  at  the  door  behind  the 
great  choir,  which  lets  him  into  a  court  surrounded  with 
walls  and  buildings.  On  the  left  hand  is  a  porch  supported 
by  two  marble  pillars,  which  leads  into  the  octagon  edifice, 
called  the  baptistery.  On  entering,  he  will  observe  that 
eight  large  polygonal  pillars  of  porphyry  support  the  roof, 
and  there  is  a  spacious  vvalk  all  round  between  them  and 
the  wall.  In  the  centre  of  the  floor  under  the  cupola,  is  the 
baptistery,  properly  so  called,  lined  with  marble,  with  three 
steps  down  into  it,  and  about  five  Roman  palms,  that  is  thir- 
ty-seven inches  and  a  half  deep  ;  for  the  Roman  palm  is 
seven  inches  and  a  half  English  measure.  Some  antiqua- 
ries are  of  opinion  that  this  baptistery  was  deeper  former- 
ly. Perhaps  it  might  be,  before  the  baptism  of  youths  was 
practised  ;  but  this,  all  things  considered,  is  the  most  de- 
sirable of  all  depths  for  baptizing  persons  of  a  middle  size ; 
and  in  a  bath,  kept  full  a§  this  was,  by  a  constant  supply  of 
fresh  water,  the  gauge  was  just,  and  any  number  might  be 
baptized  with  ease  and  speed. "f 

Mr.  Robinson  has  given  similar  descriptions  of  the  bap- 
tisteries of  Revcnna,  Venice,  Florence,  Novara,  and  Mi- 
lan ;  but  those  which  have  been  mentioned  will  give  the 
reader  an  idea  of  the  form  and  design  of  these  baptismal 
structures,  which  were  erected  in  the  front  of  christian 
temples,  to  show  that  baptism  was  the  entrance  into  the 
church. 

*  Robinson's  Hist.  Baptism,  p.  65,  66,  6r.       f  Robinson,  p.  72,  7Z 


Baptism  administered  by  the  Pope,  71 

I  shall  here  insert  an  account  of  a  baptism  performed  by 
the  pope  in  the  baptistery  of  St.  John  Lateran,  about  the 

eighth  or  ninth  century. "At  nine  in  the  morning  the 

pontiff,  attended  by  a  great  number  of  prelates  and  clergy, 
went  to  the  sacristy,  and  after  they  had  put  on  the  proper 
habits,  proceeded  in  silent  order  into  the  church.  Then 
the  lessons  for  the  day  were  read,  and  several  benedictions 
performed.  When  this  part  was  finished,  his  holiness, 
with  his  attendants,  proceeded  to  the  baptistery,  the  choir 
singing  all  the  way  the  forty-second  psalm  :  As  the  hart 
panteth  after  the  water-brooks^  so  panteth  my  soul  after  thee^ 

0  God,  and  so  on.  This  ended  at  the  porch  of  the  first 
chapel,  where  his  holiness  sat  down.  Then  the  cardinals 
presented  themselves  before  him,  and  one,  in  the  name  of 
the  rest,  prayed  for  his  benediction,  which  was  bestowed. 
This  was  repeated  thrice,  and  immediately  after  the  last, 
the  pontiff"  added,  Go  ye  and  baptize  all  nations  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The 
cardinals  having  received  their  mission,  withdrew  immedi- 
ately, and,  mounting  their  horses,  proceeded  each  to  his 
own  station  to  baptize.  The  pope  went  on  to  the  baptis- 
mal hall,  and  after  various  lessons  and  psalms  consecrated 
the  baptismal  water.  Then  while  all  were  adjusting  them- 
selves in  their  proper  places,  his  holiness  retired  into  the 
adjoining  chapel  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  attended  by 
some  acolothists,  who  took  off*  his  habits,  put  on  him  a 
pair  of  waxed  drawers,  and  a  sujplice,  and  then  returned 
to  the  baptistery.  There  three  children  were  waiting, 
which  was  the  number  usually  baptized  by  the  pontiff. 
Silence  was  ordered.  When  the  first  was  presented,  he 
asked,  What  is  his  name  ?  The  attendant  answered  John. 
Then  he  proceeded  thus :  Joiin,  dost  thou  believe  in  God 
the  Father  Almighty,  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth  ? 

1  do  believe.  Dost  thou  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  his  only 
Son  our  Lord,  who  was  born  and  suffered  death  ?  I  do 
believe.  Dost  thou  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  holy 
catholick  church,  the  communion  of  saints,  the  remission 
of  sins,  the  resurrection  of  the  body  and  life  eternal  ?  I  do 
believe.  John,  do  you  desire  to  be  baptized  ?  1  desire  it. 
I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  dipping  him 
once,  and  of  the  Son,  dipping  him  a  second  time,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  dipping  him  a  third  time.     The  pontiff 


T5  Many  things  proue  Immersion. 

added,  May  you  obtain  eternal  life  !  John  answered, 
Amen.  The  same  was  then  repeated  to  Peter  and  Mary, 
the  other  two.  Attendants  with  napkins  received  the  chil- 
dren, and  retired  to  dress  them.  The  attendants  of  his 
holiness  threw  a  mantle  over  his  surplice,  and  he  retired. 
The  rest  of  the  catechumens  were  baptized  by  deacons, 
who  in  clean  habits,  and  without  shoes,  went  down  into 
the  water,  and  performed  the  ceremony  as  the  pontiff  had 
set  them  an  example.  After  all  was  over  and  the  children 
dressed,  they  waited  on  the  pope  in  an  adjacent  room, 
where  he  confirmed  them,  and  delivered  to  each  crism  and 
a  white  garment.  The  part,  relative  to  the  habits  of  the 
pope,  is  taken  from  the  twelfth  ordinal  in  the  collection  of 
Father  Mabillon,  and  it  was  writ«,en  by  a  cardinal  in 
ihe  latter  end  of  the  twelfth  century. 

"  That  these  ordinals  were  originally  composed  for  the 
baptism  of  those  of  riper  years,  seems  not  to  admit  of  a 
doubt,  and  that  baptism  was  performed  by  immersion 
cannot  be  questioned,  nor  can  any  one  hesitate  to  deter- 
mine, that  the  candidates  were  the  children  of  christians. 
The  scrutiny  ;  the  service  in  part  in  the  night  ;  the  com- 
mand of  silence  ;  the  change  of  deacons'  habits  ;  the  wax 
or  oil-skin  drawers,  breeches,  or  trousers  for  the  pontiff; 
the  interrogations  and  answers  ;  the  kneeling  and  praying 
of  the  candidates ;  the  proper  lessons  for  the  days  ;  the 
services  for  susceptors,  parents,  patrini,  and  matrini,  who 
were  uncles,  aunts,  relations,  or  assistants,  and  not  modern 
god-fathers  performing  sponsion  ;  the  addresses  to  the 
young  folks  ;  the  total  omission  of  charges  to  sponsors  ; 
all  go  to  prove  the  point."* 

When  the  baptism  of  infants  became  an  established  cus- 
tom, it  was  unnecessary  for  the  administrators  to  go  into 
ihe  water,  and  they  contrived  cisterns  which  they  called 
fonts,  in  which  they  dipped  children  without  going  into  the 
water  themselves.  In  the  first  baptisteries,  both  adminis- 
trators and  candidates,  went  down  steps  into  the  bath.  In 
after  ages  the  administrators  went  up  steps  to  a  platform, 
on  which  stood  a  small  bath  which  they  called  a  font,  into 
which  they  plunged  children  without  going  into  the  water 
themselves.  In  modern  practice  the  font  remains,  but  a 
bason  of  water  set  into  the  font  serves  the  purpose,  because 

•  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  7^,  79,  SO. 


Many  Evidences  in  Favour  of  Iminersion,  73 

it  is  not  now  supposed  necessary  either  that  the  administra- 
tor should  go  into  the  water,  or  that  the  candidate  should 
be  immersed. 

Fonts  were  made  of  different  materials,  some  of  wood, 
some  of  stone,  and  at  Canterbury,  in  England,  there  was 
one  of  silver,  in  which  many  of  the  English  nobility  were 
baptized.  In  these  fonts  infants  w^ere  baptized  naked,  and 
accidents  frequently  happened  while  they  were  in  the  font, 
•which  were  painful  to  the  feelings  of  parents  and  spectators, 
and  which  a  good  Doctor  of  Massachusetts  would  doubt- 
less consider  altogether  "  indecorous."  But  the  poor 
babes  ought  not  to  be  blamed.* 

But  baptisteries  and  fonts  are  all  become  useless,  since 
it  has  been  found  out,  that  for  a  priest  to  moisten  his 
hand  in  a  bason,  and  lay  it  gently  on  the  child's  face,  or 
to  scatter  a  few  drops  from  his  flexible  fingers,  will  an- 
swer all  tlie  purposes  of  baptism. 

To  recapitulate  what  has  been  said  on  this  subject,  eve- 
ry thing  tends  to  prove,  that  baptism  means  dipping  or 
immersion,  and  that  it  has  been  so  understood  and  prac- 
tised in  most  ages  of  the  christian  church.  Baptisteries, 
baptismal  fonts,  going  down  into  the  baptistery,  coming 
up  out  of  it,  dressing,  undressing,  napkins,  vestments,  and 
so  on,  all  agree  with  this  mode  ;  and  we  may  add  collec- 
tions of  pictures,  inscriptions,  medals,  coins,  festivals,  and 
histories  of  all  kinds  of  the  middle  ages,  have  some  connex- 
ion, near  or  remote,  with  baptism  by  immersion.  Even 
punsters  and  writers  of  jest-books,  have  dipping  in  bap- 
tism for  the  object  of  their  wit.  In  the  history  of  the  By- 
zantine theatre,  it  is  said  that  in  the  year  two  hundred  and 
ninety  seven,  the  players  on  a  theatre  in  a  city  in  Asia, 
diverted  the  pagan  spectators  with  a  mock  baptism.  For 
this  purpose  they  provided  a  large  bathing-tub,  filled  it 
with  water,  and  plunged  Gelasinus  into  it,  to  the  no  small 
diversion  of  the  company. 

The  evidences  in  favour  of  immersion  are  so  numer- 
ous that  it  is  difficult,  in  this  short  sketch,  to  ascertain 
which  are  the  most  proper  to  select.     We  will,  however, 

•  In  consequence  of  an  accident  of  this  kind,  the  Emperour  Constantine,  in 
the  eighth  century,  received  from  liis  enemies  the  nick-name  of  Copronirniu, 
which  signifies  that  he  did  that  in  the  sacred  font,  which  he  ovight  not  to 
■have  done.    Many  otliers  received  nigk-nanies  on  the  same  account. 

Moshehn— -Robinson, 

VOL.    I.  10 


74     Concessions  of  Catholicks  in  Faiiour  of  Immersion. 

proceed  next  to  the  concessions  which  Pedo-baptists  have 
made  on  the  subject,  and  begin  with  the  Ron^an  Catho- 
licks. 

Learned  men  of  that  community  differ,  as  may  naturally 
be  supposed,  concerning  the  time  when  infant  sprinkling 
was  introduced  ;  but  none  of  their  accurate  writers  pre- 
tend to  say,  the  first  christians  did  not  baptize  by  dipping. 
On  the  contrary  they  laugh  at  such  as  affect  either  to  ren- 
der the  word  baptism  sprinkling,  or  to  give  a  high  anti- 
quity to  the  practice.  It  would  be  easy  to  adduce  a  great 
number  of  examples  ;  but  four  shall  suffice. 

The  first  is  that  learned  and  elegant  antiquary,  Paul 
Maria  Paciandi.  This  great  man  published  by  authority 
at  Rome,  in  the  year  1755,  dedicated  to  pope  Benedict 
XIV.  a  beautiful  volume  of  christian  antiquities.  His 
holiness,  being  fond  of  antiquities,  admitted  him  to  his 
presence,  and  took  pleasure  in  examining  his  compila- 
tions. In  the  fourth  chapter  of  the  second  dissertation, 
he  speaks  of  the  two  baptisteries  at  Ravenna,  and  finds 
fault  M'ith  the  artists  for  representing  John  the  Baptist 
pouring  water  on  the  head  of  Jesus.  "  Nothing  (exclaims 
he)  can  be  more  monstrous  than  these  emblems  !  Was 
our  Lord  Christ  baptized  by  aspersion  ?  This  is  so  far 
from  being  true,  that  nothing  can  be  more  opposite  to 
truth,  and  it  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  ignorance  and  rash- 
ness of  workmen."  The  officers  of  the  apostolical  palace, 
and  the  other  examiners  of  this  work  speak  of  it  in  terms 
of  the  highest  approbation. 

The  second  is  that  excellent  judge.  Dr.  Joseph  De 
Vicecomes,  of  Milan,  whose  book  on  the  mass  was  ex- 
amined  and  approved  by  the  head  of  the  college  of  St. 
Ambrose,  by  one  officer  of  the  inquisition,  another  of  the 
Cardinal  Archbishop,  and  a  third  of  the  Senate  of  Milan. 
In  the  sixth  chapter  of  the  fourth  book,  on  the  ceremo- 
nies of  baptism,  he  says,  "  I  will  never  cease  to  profess 
and  teach,  that  only  immersion  in  water,  except  in  cases 
of  necessity,  is  lawful  baptism  in  the  church.  I  will  re- 
fute the  false  notion,  that  baptism  was  administered  in  the 
primitive  church  by  pouring  or  sprinkling.'*  He  pro- 
ceeds through  the  whole  chapter  to  prove,  and  particular- 
ly refutes  the  objection,  taken  from  the  baptism  of  three 
thousand  in  one  day  by  the  apostles,   by  observing  that  it 


Dr.  GUI's  Account  of  the  Baths  in  Jerusalem.         75 

was  a  long  summer  day  ;  that  the  words  pronounced  in 
baptism* were  as  long  in  the  mode  of  sprinkling,  as  in  that 
of  dipping  ;  that  dipping  might  be  performed  as  quick  as 
sprinkling  ;  that  many  ceremonies  now  in  use  were  not 
practised  then  ;  and  that  even  since  several  ceremonies 
had  been  added,  many  fathers  at  Easter  and  Whitsuntide 
had  been  known  to  baptize  great  numbers  in  a  day  by 
dipping.  He  remarks  in  another  place,  that  some  men 
were  highly  fitted  for  this  service,  as,  for  example,  Am- 
brose, bishop  of  Milan,  who,  Paulinus  affirms,  (and  he 
knew  him  well)  had  such  spirits  and  strength,  that  he 
baptized  as  many  persons  in  a  day  by  immersion,  as  five 
ordinary  men  could  do  after  his  decease.^' 

The  third  is  Father  Mabillon.  He  says,  that  although 
there  is  mention  made  in  the  life  of  S.  Lindger  of  baptiz- 
ing a  little  infant  by  pouring  on  holy  water,  yet  it  was 
contrary  to  an  express  canon  of  the  ninth  century  ;  con- 
trary to  the  canon  given  by  Stephen,  which  allowed  pour- 
ing only  in  cases  of  necessity  ;  contrary  to  the  general 
practice  in  France,  where  trine  immersion  was  used  ; 
contrary  to  the  practice  of  the  Spaniards,  who  used  single 

*  A  man  always  dreaming  of  sprinkling',  concludes  that  the  apostles 
could  no  where  in  Jerusalem,  find  places  for  immersion.  He  can  imagine 
there  was  an  abundance  of  pitchers  and  basons;  but  to  think  of  dipping  places 
in  this  great  city,  is  altogether  improbable  and  absurd.  But  Dr.  Gill  has  shown 
that  Jerusalem  was  not  so  destitute  of  this  refreshing  element  as  many  Pedo- 
baptists  suppose.  "  In  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  (says  he)  in  private  houses,  they 
had  their  baths  for  purifications,  by  immersion,  as  in  the  case  of  menstruas, 
gonorrhosas,  and  other  defilements,  by  touching  unclean  persons  and  things, 
which  were  very  frequent  ;  so  that  a  digger  of  cisterns,  for  such  uses,  and 
others,  was  a  business  in  Jerusalem'.  And  in  the  temple  there  was  an  apart- 
ment, called  the  dip/iing-piace  or  roorn,  where  the  high-priest  dipped  himself 
on  the  day  of  atonement.  And  besides  these  were  ten  lavers  of  brass,  made 
by  Solomon ;  and  every  laver  held  forty  baths  of  water,  and  each  was  four 
cubits  broad  and  long,  sufficient  for  immersion  of  the  whole  body  of  a  man. 
Add  to  this  that  there  was  the  molten  sea  also  for  the  priests  to  wash  in,  2 
Chron.  iv.  6,  which  was  done  by  immersion ;  on  which  one  of  the  Jewish  com- 
mentators has  these  words :  *'  The  sea  vas  Jor  the  dipping  of  the  priests  ; 
«*  for  in  the  midst  of  it  they  dipped  themselves  from  their  uncleanness;  but 
"  in  the  Jerusalem  Talmud,  there  is  an  objection,  is  it  not  a  vessel  ?  as  if  it 
"  was  said  how  can  they  dip  in  it,  for  is  it  not  a  vessel  ?  and  there  is  no  dip' 
"ping  in  vessels  :  R.  Joshua  ben  Levi  replied,  a  pipe  of  water  was  laid  to 
*'  it  from  the  fountain  of  Etam,  and  the  feet  of  the  oxen,  which  were  under 
*'  the  molten  sea,  were  open  at  the  pomegranates  ;  so  that  it  was  as  if  it  was 
**from  under  the  earth,  and  the  waters  came  to  it,  and  entered,  and  ascend- 
"  ed,  by  the  way  of  the  feet  of  the  oxen,  which  were  open  beneath  them  and 
"  bored,"— And  it  may  be  observed,  that  there  was  also  in  Jerusalem  the 
pool  of  Bethesda,  into  which  persons  went  down  at  certain  times,  John  v.  1^ 
and  the  pool  of  Siloam,  where  person-;  bathed  and  dipped  themselves,  o\\ 
certain  occasions.  So  that  tllsre  vere  conveniences  enough  for  baptism  bj 
immersion  in  this  place." 


76  Concession  of  Catholicks^ 

immersion  ;  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  Alwin,  who  con- 
tended for  trine  immersion  ;  and  contrary  to  the  practice 
of  many,  who  continued  to  dip  till  the  fifteenth  century. 
For  all  this  he  quotes  his  authorities. 

The  fourth  is  the  celebrated  Lewis  Anthony  Muratori. — 
This  perfect  master  of  the  subject,  in  the  fourth  volume  of 
his  antiquities  of  the  middle  ages  of  Italy,  in  the  fifty-sev- 
enth dissertation,  treats  of  the  rites  of  the  church  of  Milan, 
called  the  Ambrosian,  from  St.  Ambrose,  the  first  compil- 
er of  the  ritual  of  that  church.  As  usual,  he  confirms  ev- 
ery word,  by  original,  authentick  papers.  Speaking  of 
baptism  by  trine  immersion,  which  was  the  Ambrosian 
inethod,  he  says  :  "  Observe  the  Ambrosian  manner  of 
baptizing.  Now-a  days,  the  priests  preserve  a  shadow  of 
the  ajicient  Ambrosian  form  of  baptizing,  for  they  do  not 
baptize  by  pouring  as  the  Romans  do  ;  but  taking  the  infant 
in  their  hands,  they  dip  the  hinder  part  of  his  head  three 
times  in  the  baptismal  water,  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  which 
is  a  vestige  yet  remaining  of  the  most  ancient  and  univer- 
sal practice  of  immersion.-'* 

A  Catholick  is  not  unwilling  to  acknowledge,  that  infant 
sprinkling  is  a  human  tradition  ;  "  he  is  not  shecked  to 
find  that  a  ceremony  is  neither  scriptural  nor  ancient,  be- 
cause an  order  of  the  council  of  Trent  is  as  valid  with 
him  as  an  apostolical  command." 

All  the  authors,  just  quoted,  believed  in  infant  sprinkling, 
not  because  it  v/as  foimd  in  scripture,  but  because  it  had 
been  established  by  law  in  the  church  of  Rome.  And  when 
Protestant  Pedo-baptists  rail  against  their  superstitious 
rites,  they  often  retort  upon  them  their  own  arguments, 
and  expose  the  sandy  foundation  of  infant  baptism.  A 
curious  anecdote  of  this  kind  is  related  of  a  Roman  Cath- 
olick priest,  who  was  called  by  king  Charles  II.  to  dispute 
with  a  Baptist  minister  by  the  name  of  Jeremiah  Ives, 
Avhom  the  Catholick  supposed  to  have  been  a  church  priest. 
The  affair  will  be  related  at  large  in  the  History  of  the 
English  Baptists. 

A  short  time  since,  a  pamphlet  was  published  in  Balti- 
more by  the  Roman  Catholick  College  of  St.  Mar\% 
against  an  attvick  from  the  Presbyterians  on  them,  (for 
their  unwritten  traditions)  to  which  the  Catholicks  reply  r 

*  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  433,  434>  43^, 


Concessiojjs  of  Calvin,  Campbell,  and  many  others .       77 

**  Presbyterians  with  Catholicks  admit  the  baptism  of  in- 
fants. Baptism  by  sprinkling,  by  effusion,  ^c.  let  them 
find  for  all  this,  and  for  many  other  practices,  any  founda- 
tion in  scripture."  Again,  "  It  is  then  an  unquestionable 
Jact,  that  eisen  for  Presbyterians,  tradition  has  preserved 
many  unwritten  dogmas  and  religious  institutions."^ 

A  Catholick,  by  thus  acknowledging  that  infant  baptism 
is  an  unwritten  tradition,  saves  himself  an  infinite  deal  of 
labour ;  but  a  Protestant,  who  will  not  give  to  such  tradi- 
tions, however  solemnly  established,  the  force  of  a  scrip- 
ture command,  finds  himself  in  an  awkward  situation,  and 
is  obliged  to  go  in  search  of  proof,  which  none  ever  did 
and  ne\er  can  find,  until  two  or  three  more  words  are  add- 
ed to  the  Bible. 

While  Catholicks  and  Presbyterians  are  contending 
about  unwritten  traditions,  the  Baptists  look  on  as  calm 
spectators,  and  rejoice,  that  for  their  practice,  they  have  a 
"  thus  saith  the  Lord,'''* 

We  will  not,  however,  confine  our  attention  to  the  con- 
cessions of  Catholicks.  A  host  of  Protestants  might  be 
produced,  who  have  all  conceded  that  the  primary  mean- 
ing of  baptizo,  is  to  dip,  to  immerse,  and  so  on  ;  and  that 
in  this  manner  baptism  was  administered  in  the  primitive 
church. 

Calvin,  in  his  commentary  on  the  passage  in  Acts  viii. 
38,  theyivent  down  into  the  water,  thus  remarks  :  "  Here 
"uee  see  the  rite  used  among  the  men  of  old  time  in  bap- 
tisme ;  for  they  put  all  the  bodie  into  the  water  ;  now,  the 
use  is  this,  that  the  minister  doth  only  sprinkle  the  bodie 
or  the  head."  After  several  remarks  upon  the  use  of  the 
ordinance,  he  adds,  "  It  is  certain  that  wee  want  nothing 
which  maketh  to  the  substance  of  baptisme.  Wherefore 
the  churche  did  graunt  libertie  to  herselfe  sitice  the  beginni7ig, 
to  change  the  rites  somewhat  excepting  this  substance. 
Some  dipped  them  thrice,  some  but  once ;  wherefore  there 
is  no  cause  why  wee  should  bee  so  strait-laced  in  matters 
which  are  of  no  suche  weight ;  so  that  that  externall 
pompe  doe  no  whit  pollute  the  simple  institution  of 
Christe."t 

*  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine,  vol.  iii,  p.  207. 
•}•  Baldwin's  Letters  to  Dr.  Worcester,  p.  201. 


78  Baptists  do  not  rely  on  Concessions, 

Dr.  Campbell,  a  late  learned  Scotch  writer,  in  his  Pre- 
liminary Discourses  to  the  Translation  of  the  Four  Gos- 
pels, observes,  that  "  in  several  modern  languages  we 
have,  in  what  regards  Jewish  and  Christian  rites,  generally 
followed  the  usage  of  the  old  Latin  version,  though  the  au- 
thors of  that  version  have  not  been  entirely  uniform  in 
their  method.  Some  words  they  have  transferred  from  the 
original  into  their  language  ;  others  they  have  translated* 
But  it  would  not  always  be  easy  to  find  their  reason  for 
making  this  difference.  Thus  the  word  peritome  they  have 
translated  circiimcisio,  which  exactly  corresponds  in  etymol- 
ogy ;  but  the  word  baptisnia  they  have  retained,  changing 
only  the  letters  from  Greek  to  Roman.  Yet  the  latter  was 
just  as  susceptible  into  Latin  as  the  former.  Immersioy 
tinctioy  answers  as  exactly  in  the  one  case  as  circiimcisio 
in  the  other."  He  further  adds,  "  We  have  deserted  the 
Greek  names  where  the  Latins  have  deserted  them. 
Hence  we  say  circumcisioti,  and  not  peritomy,  and  we  do 
not  say  immersion^  but  baptism.  Yet  when  the  language 
furnishes  us  with  materials  for  a  version  so  exact  and  ana- 
logical, such  a  version  conveys  the  sense  more  perspicu- 
ously than  a  foreign  name.  For  this  reason^  I  should  think 
the  word  immersion  (which  though  of  Latin  origin,  is  an 
English  noun,  regularly  formed  from  the  verb  to  immerse) 
a  better  name  than  baptism,  were  we  now  at  liberty  to  make 
a  choice."  The  same  writer  thus  translates  the  passage  in 
Luke  xii.  50  :  *'  I  have  an  immersion  to  undergo,  and 
how  am  I  pained  till  it  be  accomplished." 

Mr.  Booth,  in  his  Pedo-baptism  examined,  has  quoted 
eighty  Pedo-baptist  writers,  who  concede  that  the  original 
meaning  of  the  Greek  verb  baptizo,  is  to  dip,  to  immerse, 
and  so  on. 

The  Baptists  do  not  rely  on  these  concessions,  to  estab- 
lish their  opinion  of  baptism  ;  they  have  other  reasons  for 
believing  that  immersion  is  an  apostolical  rite ;  but  they 
are  produced  to  show,  that  Pedo- baptists  were  more  can- 
did and  consistent  in  former  times,  than  they  are  in  general 
at  the  present  day.  One  would  think  that  these  conces- 
sions must  have  some  effect  upon  the  minds  of  those,  who, 
in  any  measure,  lay  themselves  open  to  conviction.  Sure 
I  am,  that  if  one  respectable  Baptist  writer  should  concede 
half  so  much  in  favoyr  of  pouring  or  sprinkling,  as  Calvin 


Meaning  of  doubtful  IFords.  79 

has  in  favour  of  immersion,  it  would  be  instantly  taken  for 
proof,  and  trumpeted  from  Dan  to  Beersheba  against 
them. 

But  it  is  an  indisputable  fact  that  no  Baptist  writer,  and 
their  number  is  considerably  great,  and  some  of  them  have 
been  very  learned,  their  enemies  being  judges,  has  ever 
had  the  least  misgiving  on  the  subject,  or  in  any  way  con- 
ceded, that  any  thing  short  of  a  total  dipping,  plunging, 
or  immersion  of  the  body  in  water,  can  be  valid  baptism. 

But  few  of  the  Baptists  pretend  to  understand  Greek  ; 
some,  however,  do  undoubtedly  understand  it,  as  well  as 
do  their  adversaries,  and  have  gone  laboriously  into  the  in- 
vestigation of  the  meaning  of  the  terms  oapw,  baptizo, 
haptismay  and  so  on,  not  so  much  to  establish  their  owa 
opinions,  as  to  refute  the  skeptical  evasions  and  unsound 
criticisms  of  their  opponents.^-  "  The  meaning  of  doubt- 
ful words  is  best  fixed  by  ascertaining  the  facts  which  they 
are  intended  to  represent ;"  and  when  we  read  that  they 
Vitrt  baptized  in  Jordan^  buried  in  baptism^  ivent  down  in- 
to the  water  before  baptism^  and  came  up  out  of  it  after  ;  I 
say,  when  the  Baptists  read  tliese  and  many  similar  pas- 
sages, no  man,  woman,  or  child,  among  them,  has,  or  can 
have,  any  doubt  of  the  meaning  of  the  word  baptize. 
And  if  Pedo-baptists  will  still  spend  their  time  in  ham- 
mering Abraham's  covenant  and  the  Greek  prepositions. 
eis  and  en,  and  ek,  and  apo,  to  prove  that  baptizo  may  mean 
to  sprinkle  or  pour,  they  are  welcome  to  all  the  pleasure 
and  fruits  of  their  labour. 

The  Greeks  have  always  understood  baptism  to  mean 
immersion.  The  Greek  christians  according  to  Dr.  Wall, 
are  more  numerous  than  Roman  Catholicks,t  which,  if  I 

*  That  learned  Baptist,  Dr.  John  Gale,  has  taken  much  pains  in  this  matter. 
He  hath  traced  the  original  word  in  profane  writers,  and  hath  proved  by  a 
great  variety  of  examples,  that  with  the  Greeks,  bapto  signified  to  dip,  baptai 
dyers,  baphia  a  dye-house,  bapsit  dying  by  dipping,  bammata  dying  drugs, 
baphi  kee  the  art  of  dying,  dibaphos  double-dyed,  baptisterion  a  dying-vat,  &c. 
In  these  senses  were  bapto  and  its  derivatives  understood  before  they  were 
selected  to  describe  a  christian  institute. — Gale's  Jieflections  upon  TFaU's  His- 
tory of  Infant  Baptism,  Letter  III. 

Mohammed,  in  the  Alcoran,  calls  baptism  sebgatallah,  that  is,  divine  dying, 
or  the  tinging  of  God,  from  jfig'aA  dying  and  c/a//aA  God.  A  celebrated  ori- 
entalist says,  Mohammed  made  use  of  this  compound  terra  for  baptism,  be- 
cause, in  his  time,  christians  administered  baptism  as  dyers  tinge,  by  im- 
mersion, and  not  as  now  (in  the  west)  by  aspersion. 

Hobinson's  Hist,  of  Baptisintp-  7 

\  Defence,  &c.  p.  148 


80       The  Greeky  and  Oriental  Churches  immerse, 

mistake  not,  are  estimated  at  a  hundred  millions  or  more*' 
The  Greek  religion,  according  to  Robinson,  is  professed 
through  a  considerable  part  of  Greece,  the  Grecian  isles, 
Wallachia,  Moldavia,  Egypt,  Nubia,  Lybia,  Arabia,  Me- 
sopotamia, Lyria,  Cilicia,  and  Palestine,  the  Russian  empire 
in  Europe,  greater  part  of  Siberia  in  Asia,  Astracan,  Casan, 
Georgia,  and  White  Russia  in  Poland.*  Besides  the  es- 
tablished Greek  church,  which  is  governed  by  the  four 
patriarchs  of  Constantinople,  Alexandria,  Antioch,  and 
Jerusalem,  there  are  many  communities  of  Greek  chris- 
tians, called  oriental  churches,  which  never  were  of  any 
hierarchy,  but  have  always  retained  their  original  free- 
dom. These  churches  are  dispersed  all  over  Syria,  Ara- 
bia, Egypt,  Persia,  Nubia,  Ethiopia,  India,  Tartary,  and 
other  eastern  countries.  The  most  considerable  of  them 
are  the  Ncstorians,  the  Armeneans,  the  Georgians,  and 
so  on. 

Now  it  is  an  indisputable  fact,  acknowledged  by  all 
historians,  that  all  these  millions  of  Greeks,  ever  have, 
and  now  do,  administer  baptism  by  immersion..  They 
generally  baptize  infants,  but  they  do  it  by  dipping  not 
only  in  the  warm  climes  of  Arabia  and  Lybia,  but  in  the 
frozen  regions  of  Russia  and  Siberia. f  This  circumstance 
outweighs  ten  thousand  criticisms  upon  Abraham's  cove- 
nant, Greek  prepositions,  the  little  sprinkling  brooks  of 
Palestine,  and  the  baptism  of  the  three  thousand. 

Mr.  Robinson  has  made  a  very  good  use  of  this  circum- 
stance in  his  Ecclesiastical  Researches,  under  the  head 
Greek  Church,  pages  91  and  92,  which  I  will  here  trans- 
cribe in  his  own  forcible  words.  "  The  state  of  baptism 
in  the  Greek  church  is  an  article  of  more  consequence 
than  it  may  at  first  appear.  If  pity  for  the  wretched  be  a 
generous  passion,  who  can  help  indulging  it  when  he  sees 

•  Ecclesiastical  Researches,  p.  93. 

■\  It  is  snid  by  fin  English  historian,  that  at  Petersburg,  they  sometimes 
baptize  their  children  in  a  river  or  canal,  by  cutting  a  hole  through  the  ice, 
upon  which  he  observes,  "  I  have  heard  that  a  priest,  in  immersing  a  child, 
(tor  baptism  is  perfoi'med  by  the  immersion  of  the  whole  body)  let  it  slip, 
through  inattention,  into  the  water.  The  child  w  as  drowned  ;  but  the  holy 
man  sufFered  no  consternation.  "  Give  me  another  "  said  he,  with  tiie  utmost 
composure,  "for  the  Lord  hath  taken  that  to  hiinself"  The  Empress,  how- 
ever, having  other  uses  for  iier  subjects,  and  not  desiring  that  the  Lord 
should  have  any  more  in  that  way,  at  least,  gave  orders,  that  all  children,  to 
be  baptized  in  a  hole  in  the  river,  should  henceforth  be  let  down  in  a  basket.** 
Bald'win's  Baptkm  c>f  Balkvcrs,  2d  edit.  p.  100. 


Greeks  understand  their  own  Language  best,         81 

an  illiterate  Baptist  hang  his  head  daunted  and  dismayed 
by  the  unfair  criticism  of  a  learned  teacher,  who  tells  him 
the  word  baptize  is  Greek,  and  signifies  pouring  as  well  as 
dipping  ?  Great  men  love  sometimes  to  trifle.  The  infer- 
ence which  these  translators  draw  from  their  own  version, 
is  not  exactly  logical ;  for  I  prove,  says  a  Vossius,  going 
to  baptize  an  infant,  that  the  word  baptize  signifies  to  pour 
as  well  as  to  dip.  In  virtue  of  this,  what  does  he  ?  He 
takes  the  infant  and  neither  pours  nor  dips,  but  sprinkles, 
and  then  lifts  up  his  voice  and  says  to  a  congregation  of 
English  peasants,  the  Greek  will  bear  me  out.  Verily, 
this  is  not  fair  ! 

"  Suppose  an  honest  Baptist  peasant  should  stand  up  and 
say  to  such  a  man,  "  Sir,  I  have  understood  that  Jesus 
*'  lived  and  died  in  the  east ;  that  four  of  his  disciples 
"  wrote  his  history  in  the  Greek  language  ;  that  his  apos- 
"  ties  preached  in  Greek  to  the  inhabitants  of  Greece,  and 
"  that  the  Greeks  heard,  believed  and  were  baptized  ;  eve- 
"  ry  nation  understands  its  own  language  best,  and  no 
"  doubt  the  Greeks  understand  Greek  better  than  we  do  ; 
"  now  I  have  been  informed,  set  me  right  if  I  be  wrong, 
"  that  from  the  first  preaching  of  the  apostles  to  this  day, 
*'  the  Greeks  have  always  understood,  that  to  baptize  was 
*'  to  dip  ;  and,  so  far  are  they  from  thinking  that  to  baptize 
"is  to  pour  or  to  sprinkle,  I  have  been  told  they  baptize 
*'  by  dipping  three  times.  I  do  not  understand  Greek, 
*'  but  1  think  the  Greeks  themselves  do.  If,  therefore,  I 
*'  were  not  to  dip  for  other  reasons  ;  and  if  I  were  obliged 
*'  to  determine  my  practice,  by  the  sense  of  the  single 
*'  word  baptism  ;  and  if  I  were  driven  to  the  necessity  of 
*'  trusting  somebody,  my  reason  would  command  me  to 
*'  take  that  sense  from  the  natives  of  Greece,  rather  than 
"  from  you  a  foreigner."  That  this  honest  man  would 
suppose  a  true  fact  is  beyond  all  contradiction. — -In  deter- 
mining the  precise  meaning  of  a  Greek  word,  used  to  sig- 
nify a  Greek  ceremony,  what  possible  chance  hath  a  session 
of  lexicographers  against  whole  empires  of  native  Greeks  ? 
Let  the  illiterate  then  enjoy  themselves,  and  recollect  when 
they  baptize  by  dipping,  they  understand  Greek  exactly 
as  the  Greeks  themselves  understand  it. 

"  Greatly  as  the  Greeks  were  divided  in  speculative 
opinions,  and  numerous  as  the  congregations  were,  v/hich 

VOL.    I,  11 


82    No  TVordhas  a  more  definite  meaning  than  Baptism, 

dissented  from  the  church,  it  is  remarkable,  and  may  serve 
to  confirm  the  meaning  of  the  word  baptize,  that  there  is 
not  the  shadow  of  a  dispute,  in  all  their  history,  in  favour 
of  sprinkhng.  Because  they  were  Greeks,  they  all  thought 
that  to  baptize  was  to  baptize,  that  is,  to  dip  v/as  to  dip. 
They  all  baptized,  and  rebaptized  ;  the  established  church, 
as  was  observed  before,  by  order  of  council,  for  specula- 
tive reasons,  and  the  dissenters  for  moral  reasons."* 

Nothing  of  the  kind  staggers  the  charity  of  the  Baptists 
so  much,  as  for  a  learned  man,  \\  ith  all  these  historical  evi- 
dences before  his  eyes,  to  tell  his  hearers,  and  publish  to 
the  world,  that  nothing  definite  can  be  determined  re- 
specting the  meaning  of  the  Greek  word  baptizo.  And 
many  are  tempted  to  think  that  they  do  but  half  believe 
their  own  assertions,  but  that  they  make  them  merely  to 
gain  time,  or  to  bewilder  the  minds  of  inquirers. 

"  If,  (says  Robinson)  there  be  a  word  in  the  New-Tes- 
tament, of  a  determinate  meaning,  it  is  the  word  baptism. 
Yet  by  a  course  of  sophistry,  it  shall  be  first  made  synoni- 
mous  with  ivashing,  and  then  washing  shall  be  proved  sy- 
nonimous  with  sprinkling,  and  then  sprinkling  shall  be  call- 
ed baptism.  Thus  the  book,  intended  to  instruct,  shall 
be  taugUt  to  perplex  ;  the  book  in  the  world  the  most  de- 
terminate shall  be  rendered  the  most  vague  ;  the  book, 
the  credit  of  which  is  absolutely  ruined  if  it  admit  of 
double  meanings,  shall  of  all  others  be  rendered  the  most 
mysterious  book  in  the  world,  saying  every  thing,  and  of 
course  narrating  and  proving  nothing." 


Miscellaneous  Articles  nearly  or  remotely  connected  iioith 

Baptism. 

Baptism  is  one  of  the  most  curious  and  complicated 
subjects  of  ecclesiastical  history.  Among  men  who  step- 
ped off  the  ground  of  scripture,  and  laid  another  founda- 
tion, it  was  variable  as  the  v»ind,  and  in  every  province 
practised  for  a  different  reason.  At  Alexandria,  inserted 
into  rules  of  academical  education;  at  Jerusalem,  admin- 
istered to  promiscuous  catechumens  ;  in  the  deserts  of 

•  "  Since  my  arrival  in  this  country,  1  was  once  in  the  company  of  a  gen- 
tleman, whose  vernacular  tongue  was  the  Greek.  One  of  the  company  ask- 
ed him  the  meaning  of  the  word  baptizo.  He  said  it  meant  baptizo^  what 
else  could  it  mean  ?  After  asking  more  particularly,  he  signified  that  it  meant 
immersion."  Dr.  Staughton's  account  of  the  India  Mission,  p.  209^ 


CathoUcks  ha^e  menty  Ceremonies  at  Baptism.        83 

Egypt,  united  to  monastical  tuition  ;  in  Cappadocia,  ap- 
plied as  an  amulet  to  entitle  the  dying  to  heaven  ;  at  Con- 
stantinople, accommodated  to  the  intrigues  of  the  court ; 
in  all  places,  given  to  children  extraordinarily  inspired  ; 
and  in  the  end  it  was  employed  by  an  African  monk,  to 
wash  away  original  sin. 

Accoiding  to  Cardinal  Bellarmine,  the  Roman  Catho- 
licks  have  no  less  than  two  and  twenty  ceremonies  at  bap- 
tism. Twelve  are  preparatory  to  it,  five  are  at  the  ad- 
ministration of  it,  and  the  remaining  are  after  it.  Others, 
it  ib  said,  make  many  more.  These  twenty-two  are  all 
stated  in  their  order  by  Mr.  Robinson,  but  we  have  not 
room  to  do  it  here.  The  principal  ones,  however,  are 
the  Scrutiny,  Exsufflation,  by  which  devils  are  expelled. 
Insufflation,  by  which  the  Spirit  of  God  is  communicated, 
Consecration  of  the  water,  the  Chrismal  Unction,  the 
Lighted  Taper,  and  the  Milk  and  Honey.* 

*  Every  thing  pertaining  to  baptism  was  marked  with  pomp  and  extrava- 
gance, and  the  preparations  for  a  christening  day,   among  the  nobility,  were 
as  great  as  tliey  are  now   for  a  public   dinner  in  a  populous  town.     The  fol- 
lowing is  a  bill  of  fare  of  a  dinner  at  Tynningham,   the   house  of  the  Right 
Hon.  the  Earl  of   Haddington,  on  Thursday  the  21st  of  August,  1679,  when 
his  Lordship's  son  was  baptized  : 

Fresh  beef    .........6  pieces. 

Mutton,         ---..--.-      16    do. 

Veal,  4    do. 

Legs  of  Venison, 3 

Geese,  .........6 

Pigs,  - 4 

Old  Turkeys, 2 

Young  do.  ........8 

Salmon,  -         ..         .         .         -         -         •         4 

Tongues  and  Udders,    -------      12 

Ducks,  -.        .        .        .        -        -        -14 

Roasted  fowls,      ,...-..-6 
£oiled  fowls  ....--.,.9 

Chickens  roasted,  -.----        -SO 

do.       stewed,  ,------12 

do.       frickaseed,     -------8 

do.       in  pottage,  10 

Lamb,  -.-._----2  sides 

V^'ild  Fowl, 22 

Pigeons  baked,  roasted,  and  stewed,     -        -        -        -     182 

Hares  roasted ---10 

do.    frickaseed,        -...---6 
Hams,  -......--3 

A  puncheon  of  Claret,  &c. 
No  one  will  think  it  strange,  after  reading  this  account,  that  Dr.  Wall  ac- 
cused many  in  hig  day,  of  regarding  nothing  at  a  christening  but  the  dress, 
and  the  eating  and  drinking 

In  Venice,  the  meanest  plebeian  hath  at  l^ast  three  god-fathers,  the  wealthy 
bave  twenty,  and  sometimes  a  hundred. 


84  Origin  of  lightedTaperSt  ^c,  in  Baptism. 

Many  of  these  ceremonies,  which  now  appear  altogether 
•absurd  and  unmeaning,  may  be  traced  to  a  rational  origin. 
We  will  mention  only  two,  the  Hghted  taper,  and  the  milk 
and  honey.  What  use  is  a  lighted  taper  to  an  infant  eight 
days  old  ?  Yet  President  Brisson  hath  proved  by  undenia- 
ble evidence,  from  ancient  and  allowed  authorities,  that 
in  the  middle  ages,  when  baptism  was  administered  by 
dipping  only  at  Easter  and  Whitsuntide,  the  number  of 
catechumens  being  very  great,  the  administrators  began 
to  baptize  in  the  night,  or  at  least  long  before  break  of 
day,  and  so  many  flambeaus  were  lighted  up  for  public 
convenience,  that  the  darkness  was  turned  into  day. 
Could  any  thing  be  more  natural  than  for  some  of  tlie  at- 
tendants to  give  a  taper  to  a  person  coming  up  out  of  the 
water,  or  to  M'alk  before  him  and  light  him  ?  It  served  at 
once  to  distinguish  him  in  the  crowd  for  freedom  of  passage, 
and  to  light  him  from  the  baptistery  to  the  dressing  room. 

After  these  baptized  persons  had  retired  from  the  bap- 
tistery to  the  dressing  room,  it  was  very  common  to  re- 
fresh themselves  with  milk  and  honey.  Many  other  of 
these  ceremonies  may  be  explained  in  a  similar  manner, 
but  some  originated  in  the  capricious  fancies  of  supersti- 
tious people,  and  others  go  to  show  the  invisible  and  sal- 
utary benefits  of  the  baptismal  rite,  which  Catholicks  have 
magnified  to  a  most  extravagant  degree.  •  What  can  be 
more  shocking  and  irrational,  than  to  suppose  that  in  a 
world  inhabited  by  eight  or  nine  hundred  millions  of  ra- 
tional beings,  the  eternal  destiny  of  any  should  depend  on 
the  precarious  application  of  a  few  drops  of  water  to  their 
faces,  soon  after  they  were  born  ?  Yet  thousands  and  mil- 
lions have  professed  to  believe  this  monstrous  doctrine, 
and  if  an  ill-fated  infant  was  likely  to  expire,  before  water 
could  be  obtained,  the  priest  or  midwife  would  baptize 
it  with  ivine.^ 

*  Some  in  Upper  Saxony,  a  little  before  the  Reformation,  practised  baptism 
upon  sickly  new-born  infants  with  only  using  the  baptismal  form  of  words, 
without  the  application  of  water  in  any  form  whatever.  There  is  an  account 
of  a  Jew,  who  suddenly  turned  christian  where  there  was  no  water,  and  at 
the  point  of  death,  was  bapti2ed  with  sand.  Some  of  the  Irish,  in  the 
twelfth  Centura,  baptized  their  children  by  plunging  them  into  miii,  and  were 
superstitious  enough  to  imagine,  that  every  part  so  plunged  became  invuU 
nerable.  Sobinson—Baldixiin. 

How  long  must  the  Baptists  be  acci.sed  of  holding,  that  baptism  is  a  sav- 
ing ordinance  and  essential  to  salvation,  vvhen  tliey  expressly  and  uniformly 
declare,  that  none  but  christians  are  entitled  to  it,  and  that  it  is  not  the  putting 
.■»T*^ay  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  is  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  towards  God  I 


Obsevoatiom  on  the  Term  Infant,  85 

We  will  not  accuse  the  Protestants  of  holding  an  opin- 
ion so  shockingly  absurd,  but  still,  all  Pedo-baptists,  how- 
ever evangelical,  do  attach  to  the  baptism  of  a  child,  cer- 
tain inms'ible  benefits,  which,  as  may  well  be  supposed,  no 
person  yet  could  ever  discover  ;  and  some,  even  of  the  In- 
dependents, have  accused  the  hard-hearted  Baptists  of 
holding  "  an  infant  damning  doctrine — and  of  maintaining 
with  an  audacious  cruelty,  a  principle,  which  evidently  ex- 
cluded dear  infants  from  the  kingdom  of  God — and  would 
send  them  by  swarms  into  hell — and  strike  darts  of  anguish 
into  the  hearts  of  both  parents  and  children."* 

The  liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England  defines  baptism 
to  be  regeneration^  and  the  funeral  service  is  refused  to 
such  infants  as  die  unbaptized.f 

The  meaning  of  the  term  Infant  has  been  a  matter  of 
much  dispute,  in  baptismal  controversies.  Pedo-baptist 
writers  have  generally  gone  upon  the  supposition,  that  it 
always  means  a  babe.  But  Mr.  Robinson  has  produced 
numerous  and  undeniable  proofs,  that  in  ancient  ec- 
clesiastical history,  the  words  pais^  hrephos^  brephuUion^ 
puer^  puerulus^  infans,  infantulns^  and  so  on,  were  used 
indiscriminately  for  minors.  Out  of  the  multitude  of  ex- 
amples, which  that  ingenious  author  has  produced,  I  shall 
select  the  following  : 

*'  The  last  Will  and  Testament  of  Adald,  a  little  infant 

of  Lucca, 

*^*  In  the  name  of  God — in  the  twenty-first  year  of  the 
reign  of  our  Lord  Charles,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of 
the  Franks  and  Lombards — I,  Adald,  the  little  infant  son 
of  Waltper,  being  sick  and  in  danger  of  death,  considering 
in  myself  the  mercy  of  Almighty  God,  for  the  redemption 
of  my  soul,  and  according  to  a  statute  of  king  Liutprand, 

*  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  476. 

■j-  The  following  anecdote  is  related  by  Dr.  Baldwin,  in  his  Letters  to  Rev. 
Samuel  Worcester,  in  a  note,  p.  183  :  "  A  ^e:\i  years  since,  I  was  called  to  at 
tend  the  funeral  of  an  infant  in  this  town,  in  a  family,  which,  I  was  informed, 

belonged  to  the  Episcopal  church.     I  asked  where  the  Rev.  Dr.—— 

was  ?  and  was  answered  he  was  out  of  town .   Where  is  the  Rev.  Mr. —  ? 

It  was  said,  he  was  engaged.  At  length  the  gentleman  of  the  house  told  me 
plainly,  "  The  child  was  not  baptized  !"  To  this  I  replied,  that  I  had  the 
happiness  to  believe  the  child  was  gone  equally  as  saf'^,  as  though  it  harl  heen 
baptized." 


86  Observations  on  the  Term  Infant, 

of  holy  memory,  offer  to  God,  and  to  the  church  of  bless- 
ed St.  Martin — my  house — out  houses — gardens — iands— - 
vineyards — olive  yards — woods — underwoods — meadows 
—pastures,  cultivated  and  uncultivated — and  all  my  effects, 

moveable  and  immoveable — and  also  my  house  at 

and  also  my   house   at and    also   all  other  rights, 

whatsoever  and  wheresoever — I  offer  as  aforesaid,  and 
confirm  by  this  deed,  which  Ghislebert  wrote  at  my  re- 
quest. Done  at  Lucca,  in  the  year  of  Christ,  seven  hun- 
dred and  ninety  four." 

This  Will  was  witnessed  by  five  infants^  viz.  Gumpert, 
Asprand,  Pascal,-  Ghisprand,  Erminari,  four  of  whom 
were  then  presbyters.* 

In  the  year  three  hundred  and  seventy-four,  the  church 
of  Milan  assembled  to  elect  a  bishop  instead  of  Auxentius, 
lately  deceased.  They  were  divided  into  two  violent  par- 
ties, the  one  Arian,  the  other  Trinitarian.  Disputes  ran  so 
high  that  the  city  was  in  an  uproar,  and  Ambrose  the 
Governor,  w  ho  was  only  a  catechumen,  and  therefore  had 
no  vote,  went  thither  to  keep  the  peace.  No  sooner  had 
he,  by  a  conciliatory  address,  quieted  the  tumult,  than  to 
his  great  surprise,  the  whole  assembly  shouted,  "  Let 
Ambrose  be  bishop  !  Let  Ambrose  be  bishop  !"  and  he 
soon  found  himself  unanimously  elected.  And  the  first 
person  who  exclaimed,  "  Let  Ambrose  be  bishop  !"  was 
an  infant^  that  is,  a  church  member  who  was  under  age. 

Origen  is  quoted  to  prove  infant  baptism  ;  but  Origen's 
infants  were  capable  of  repentance  and  martyrdom  ;  and 
infants  are  said  to  have  nominated  kings,  erected  churches, 
composed  hymns,  and  so  on.f 

The  truth  of  the  case,  says  Mr.  Robinson,  is,  circum- 
stances must  determine  the  ages  of  those,  who  were  an- 
ciently called  infants.  The  various  words,  translated  in- 
fant, taken  singly,  crumble  auay  in  the  hands  of  an  investi- 
gator :  they  may  signify  a  new-born  babe,  or  a  little  boy  of 
seven,  or  a  great  boy  of  fourteen  years,  or  a  young  man 
turned  of  twenty  ;  and  in  support  of  this  proposition,  he 
has  produced  evidences  in  abundance  from  manuscripts, 
books,  inscriptions,  and  laws. 

•  It  was  very  ( vistomary,  at  this  time,  to  introduce  boys  into  holy  orders  for 
the  parpose  of  seeming-  them  a  future  living-,  and  of  laying-  an  early  foundation 
for  promotion, 

■j-  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  157, 


Baptism  emerging  from  Corruption.  87 

The  passage  in  Acts,  *'  the  promise  is  unto  you  and 
your  children^^''  has  been  much  disputed.  On  this  pas- 
sage,  many  Pedo-baptists  build  half  their  superstruc- 
ture. But  it  is  evident  the  term  children  there  is  applied 
to  posterity,  without  any  regard  to  their  age.  We  read  of 
the  children  of  Israel — the  children  of  Benjamin — the  chil- 
dren of  promise — the  children  of  God — the  children  of 
Jight — and  so  on.  Infant  baptism  may  as  well  be  proved 
from  either  of  these  passages,  as  from  the  one  in  Acts. 

A  zealous  Pedo-baptist  lately  asserted,  that  he  could 
prove  infant  baptism  from  this  passage,  "  Ephraim  is  a 
cake  unturned.''''  And  cardinal  Bellarmine  contended  that 
he  could  prove  tlie  pope's  supremacy  from  the  first  chapter 
of  Genesis.  And  truly  one  may  be  done  as  easily  as  the 
other. 

Dr.  Wall  observes  that  all  national  churches  practise  in- 
fant baptism.  "  Very  true,  (says  Mr.  Robinson)  infant 
baptism,  as  it  was  intended,  created  national  churches,  and 
gives  them  continuance,  as  it  gave  them  being.  Let  what 
will  be  said  in  praise  of  such  churches,  it  can  never  be 
affirmed  that  they  were  either  formed  or  continued  by  the 
free  consent  of  their  members.  It  was  for  this  reason  the 
learned  Dr.  Gill  called  infant  baptism  the  main  ground  and 
pillar  of  popery,  and  a  great  number  of  Baptists  are  of  the 
same  opinion. 

Time  only  can  discover  what  the  fate  of  this  singular 
ceremony  will  be.  If  a  judgment  of  the  future  may  be 
formed  by  the  past,  infant  baptism,  like  infant  monachism, 
will  fall  into  total  disuse,  and  for  the  same  reasons.  It 
u'as  formerly  a  practice,  both  in  France  and  England,  but 
most  in  England,  to  make  monks  and  nuns  of  infants  of 
seven,  five,  two,  and  even  one  year  old  ;  but  this  is  now 
every  where  disused." 

"  Baptism  (says  this  same  writer  in  another  place)  arose 
pure  in  the  east  :  it  rolled  westward,  diminished  in  lustre, 
often  beclouded  with  mists,  and  sometimes  under  a  total 
eclipse  ;  at  length  it  escaped  the  eye,  and  wa  s  lost  among 
attenuated  particles,  shades,  non -entities,  and  monsters  ; 
then  it  took  a  contrary  direction,  and  probably  in  time  it 
will  emerge  from  every  depression,  and  shine  in  its  orig- 
inal simplicity  and  excellence." 


38  Proselyte  Bapthm^xonsidered. 

Proselyte  Baptism  demands  a  kw  words  of  attention. 
Many  Pedo-baptist  writers  have  depended  much  upon  it 
to  help  them  to  evidence,  which  the  Bible  does  not  furnish  ; 
and  Dr.  Wall  founds  his  main  argument  in  favour  of 
infant  baptism  on  the  practice.  But  after  all  that  has  been 
said  about  proselyte  baptism,  it  remains  a  very  doubtful 
affair,  and  Pedo-baptist  writers  are  much  divided  among 
themselves  respecting  it.  Dr.  John  Owen  calls  the  opin- 
ion, that  christian  baptism  came  from  the  Jews,  an  opinion 
destitute  of  all  probability. 

That  the  Jews  had  frequent  ablutions  or  washings,  no 
one  ever  denied,  but  the  washing  of  proselytes,  which  is 
improperly  called  baptism,  is  not  found  in  the  law  of 
Moses,  nor  in  the  writings  of  Philo,  or  Josephus,  but  was 
evidently  introduced  after  the  destruction  of  the  temple  at 
Jerusalem. 

"  It  is  remarkable  (says  Robinson)  of  this  controversy, 
that  they,  who  most  earnestly  take  the  affirmative,  are  of 
all  men  the  least  interested  ;  for  could  a  christian  rite  be 
taken  off  the  ground  of  immediate  divine  appointment, 
and  placed  on  that  of  human  traditions,  Christianity  would 
lose  much  of  its  glory  ;  least  of  all  are  they  interested  in 
it,  who  intend  to  establish  a  law  to  sprinkle  the  infants  of 
christians,  upon  proving,  that  the  Jews  had  a  custom  of 
dipping  men  and  women  when  they  renounced  Paganism. 
In  this  hopeless  affair,  could  the  fact  be  demonstrated,  no 
advance  would  be  made  in  the  argument ;  for  it  would  be 
easy  to  prove,  that  if  it  were  by  tradition,  Jewish  traditions 
neither  have,  nor  ought  to  have,  any  force  with  christians  : 
and  that  if  it  were  even  an  institute  of  Moses,  the  ceremo- 
nies of  Moses  were  abolished  in  form  by  an  authority, 
which  no  christian  will  oppose." 

I  have  now  gone  through  with  narrating  all  the  inci- 
dents, which  the  limits  of  this  sketch  will  permit  me  to 
insert,  and  shall  recapitulate  the  whole  in  the  words  of  the 
the  author  I  have  so  often  named.  Protestants  have  dis- 
covered great  genius  in  inventing  arguments  for  the  sup- 
port of  infant  baptism,  and  to  some  Baptists  they  seem  to 
reason  in  this  manner  :  It  is  written,  God  made  a  cove- 
nant with  Abraham  and  his  family :  therefore,  though  it  is 
not  written,  we  ought  to  believe  he  makes  a  covenant  with 


Curious  Mode  of  Reasoning.  89 

every  christian  and  his  family.  God  settled  on  Abraham 
and  his  family  a  large  landed  estate  :  therefore,  he  gives 
every  christian  and  his  family  the  benefits  of  the  christian 
religion.  God  commanded  Abraham  and  his  family  to 
circumcise  their  children  :  therefore,  all  professors  of  Chris- 
tianity ought,  without  a  command,  not  to  circumcise  but 
to  baptize  their  children.  Jesus  said,  "  suffer  little  chil- 
dren to  come  unto  me:"  therefore,  infants  who  cannot 
come  ought  to  be  carried,  not  to  Jesus,  but  to  a  minister, 
not  to  be  healed,  but  to  be  baptized.  Paul  advised  mar- 
ried believers  at  Corinth  not  to  divorce  their  unbelieving 
yoke-fellows,  lest  they  should  stain  the  reputation  of  their 
children,  with  the  scandal  of  illegitimacy  :  therefore,  chil- 
dren, legitimate  and  illegitimate,  ought  to  be  baptized.  A 
man  of  thirty  years  of  age  says  he  believes  the  gospel : 
therefore,  his  neighbour's  infant  of  eight  days  ought  to  be 
baptized,  as  if  he  believed  the  gospel.  And  finally,  the 
scripture  does  not  mention  infant  baptism  ;  but  it  is,  not- 
withstanding, full  of  proof  that  infants  were  and  ought  to 
be  baptized. 

Really,  the  Baptists  ought  to  be  forgiven  for  not  having 
a  taste  for  this  kind  of  logic  ;  yea,  they  ought  to  be  ap- 
plauded for  preferring  argument  before  sophistry. 

St.  Austin  and  his  company  were  the  first  who  attacked 
believer's  baptism  at  law  ;  but  Zuinglius  and  Calvin  are 
said  to  be  the  first,  who  invented  the  method  of  proving 
infant  baptism  from  Abraham's  covenant.  The  dispute 
between  Baptists  and  Pedo-baptists  has  long  been  main- 
tained, and  still  it  remains  unsettled.  Every  thing  which 
slander  could  utter  has  been  cast  upon  the  Baptists,  and 
every  cruelty,  which  malicious  ingenuity  could  devise, 
has  been  practised  against  them.  Thousands  of  them 
have  been  slain,  and  thousands  more  have  been  dispersed 
into  obscure  corners  and  caves  of  the  earth.  But  still 
they  remain,  and  are  rapidly  advancing  in  numbers  and 
strength.  As  a  body,  like  others,  they  have  been  much 
divided  on  n^any  other  points,  but  in  the  article  of  bap^ 
tism  they  have  been  uniform  and  unshakingly  fixed.  They 
have  never  persecuted,  although  they  have  had  it  in  their 
power  to  do  so.     But  they  have  reasoned  and  remonstrat- 

VOL.    I,  12 


90        Objections  of  Baptists  against  Infant  Baptism. 

ed,   and  against  infant  baptism  they  have  urged  the  foi 
lowing  objections  : 

First.  It  is  not  in  our  Lord's  commission  ;  and  what- 
is  not  in  a  commission,  must,  of  necessity,  be  out  of  it. 

Second.  It  is  no  where  found  in  the  Bible  ;  and,  there- 
fore, it  cannot  be  a  Bible  institution. 

Third.  They  deny  that  infants  derive  any  benefit 
from  baptism,  and  thousands  of  them  have  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  knowing  ;  but  on  the  contrary  affirm,  that  a 
great  injury  is  done  them  by  it,  because  they  grow  up  in  a 
prejudice,  that  they  are  christians,  and,  therefore,  never 
examine  what  Christianity  is. 

Fourth.  Every  person  ought  to  be  left  free  to  choose 
his  own  religion  ;  but  infant  baptism  imposes  a  religion 
upon  its  subjects,  before  they  know  it,  and  they  often 
have  much  trouble  to  get  rid  of  it,  when  they  become  ca- 
pable of  refusing  the  evil  and  choosing  the  good. 

For  these  and  many  ocher  reasons,  the  Baptists  without 
the  least  misgiving,  reject  infant  baptism  ;  and  if  saint 
Austin,  and  a  thousand  other  saints  beside,  have  said  that 
it  was  an  apostolical  tradition,  it  does  not  in  the  least  af- 
fect their  belief,  so  long  as  they  find  that  saint  Luke,  saint 
Paul,  and  saint  Peter,  have  no  where  mentioned  it,  but 
have  laid  down  principles,  which  go  entirely  to  exclude  it. 
They  do  not  wonder  that  many  saints  have  asserted  what 
none  ever  proved,  but  they  wonder  that  some  of  them 
have  not  interpolated  scripture  to  serve  their  hypothesis. 

The  Baptists  are  accused  l^y  their  opponents  of  having 
an  assurance  peculiar  to  themselves.  This  accusation 
ihey  are  not  unwilling  to  admit.  Their  peculiar  assur- 
ance arises  from  the  clear  and  peculiar  evidence  with 
which  their  sentiments  are  supported.  This  assurance 
has  been  called  presumption,  and  those  who  persisted  in 
it,  in  former  days,  were  denounced  obstinate  hercticks, 
and  doomed  to  suffer  fire  and  sword  in  this  world,  and 
eternal  perdition  in  the  world  to  come.  But  a  gracious 
Providence  has  now  delivered  us  from  the  force  of  these 
terrible  arguments. 

While  Pedo-baptists  send  inquirers  to  their  pamphlets 
and  doctors,  the  Baptists  send  them  to  the  Bible,  and 
they  cannot  but  exult  that  their  sentiments  are  there  so 
plainly  expressed.     And  what  emboldens  them,  and  dis- 


Most  oft /lis  Sketch  takeiifrom  Robinson.  91 

gusts  their  opponents  is,  that  every  man,  woman,  and 
child  has  the  leading  passages  by  heart,  on  which  their 
sentiments  are  founded,  and  can,  at  once,  produce  argu- 
ments, which  the  greatest  doctors  cannot  answer  without 
much  time,  nor  then  without  7nuch  sophistry. 

It  is  a  very  unlucky  circumstance,  that  infant  baptism 
is  no  where  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  and  I  pity  the  person, 
who,  with  a  tender  conscience,  sets  out  to  find  it  there ; 
for,  sure  I  am,  he  will  have  a  hard  and  fruitless  task, 
and  if  he  finally  succeeds,  it  must  be  by  subverting  his 
own  understanding. 

The  study  of  infant  baptism  is  the  most  perplexing 
study  in  the  world,  as  many,  who  are  now  Baptists,  know 
by  experience.  And  the  reason  js,  it  perverts  the  order 
of  scripture.  But  in  the  study  of  believer's  baptism  eve- 
ry thing  is  plain  and  easy. 

Infant  baptism  is  supported  by  a  long  string  of  texts 
from  the  Old  Testament  and  New,  none  of  which  men- 
tion the  thing,  and  none  of  which  refer  to  such  a  practice, 
any  more  than  Hagar's  going  out  into  the  wilderness  of 
Beersheba,  leading  her  sulky  son  Ishmael,  and  carrying 
with  her  a  loaf  of  bread  and  a  bottle  of  water.  In  this 
passage  we  find  a  child  and  water,  and  these  are  not  found 
in  many  of  the  passages  brought  to  support  infant  baptism. 

As  to  all  the  shocking  consequences  which  follow  from 
Baptist  principles,  we  have  only  to  say,  they  are  drawn  by 
Pedo-baptists,  and  not  by  us. 

And  since  three-fourths  of  the  terraqueous  globe  is  cov- 
ered with  water,  we  never  expect  to  find  any  difficulty  in 
procuring  a  full  supply  of  this  element. 

The  substance  of  this  sketch  has  been  selected  from 
Robinson's  incomparable  history  of  baptism,  to  which  I 
have  often  referred  ;  and  many  sentiments  and  sentences, 
for  which  no  formal  credit  has  been  given,  have  been  taken 
from  that  laborious  and  invaluable  work.  There  are  but 
few  copies  of  it  in  this  country.  It  is  a  quarto  volume  of 
between  six  and  seven  hundred  pages,  with  very  copious 
Latin  notes.  This  work  will  bear  to  be  abridged  ;  and  by 
omitting  the  notes  and  some  other  articles,  it  might  be  re- 
duced  to  an  octavo  volume  of  four  or  five  hundred  pages, 
without  leaving  out  any  of  the  important  matter  which  re- 
lates to  baptism.     In  making  out  the  above  sketch,  which 


92  Origin  of  the  Baptists, 

has  been  selected  from  every  part  of  it,  I  have  been  obliged 
to  study  it  with  considerable  attention,  and  have  conceived 
the  design  of  undertaking  to  abridge  it,  after  I  have  had  a 
little  respite  from  my  present  labour.* 


CHAP.  III. 

A    GENERAL    ACCOUNT    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    rOREIGN 
COUNTRIES    AND    ANCIENT    TIMES. 

THIS  chapter  will  extend  from  the  introduction  of  Chris- 
tianity to  about  the  time  of  the  reformation  under  Luther 
and  his  associates. 

All  sects  trace  their  origin  to  the  Apostles,  or  at  least  to 
the  early  ages  of  Christianity.  But  many,  and  especially 
the  powerful  ones,  have  laboured  hard  to  cut  off  the  Bap- 
tists from  this  common  retreat.  They  have  often  asserted 
and  taken  much  pains  to  prove  that  the  people  now  called 
Baptists  originated  with  the  mad  men  of  Munster,  about 
1522.  We  have  only  to  say  to  this  statement,  that  it  is 
not  true.  And  notvvidistanding  all  that  has  been  said  to 
the  contrary,  we  still  date  the  origin  of  our  sentiments,  and 
the  beginning  of  our  denomination,  about  the  year  of  our 
Lord  tu  enty-nine  or  thirty  ;  for  at  that  period  John  the 
Baptist  began  to  immerse  professed  believers  in  Jordan 
and  Enon,  and  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  coming  of  the 
Lord's  Anointed,  and  for  the  setting  up  of  his  kingdom. 

But  before  we  proceed  any  farther,  it  is  proper  that  the 
terms  Baptist  and  Anabaptist  should  be  defined. 

A  Baptist  is  one,  who  holds  that  a  profession  of  fltith, 
and  an  immersion  in  water  are  essential  to  baptism.  An 
Anabaptist  is  one  who  is  rebaptized.  The  name  of  Bap- 
tist we  admit  is  significant  and  proper  ;  but  that  of  Ana- 
baptist we  reject  as  slanderous,  and  no  ways  descriptive  of 
our  sentiments  and  practice  ;  and  when  our  opponents  ac- 
cuse us  of  Anabaptism,  we  always  understand  the  charge 

•  Many  articles  which  are  largely  and  learnedly  discussed  by  Mr.  Robin- 
son, have  not  been  referred  to  in  the  preceding  sketch  ;  as  baptism  connect- 
ed with  Monachism — with  social  obligations — with  Human  Creeds — wiih 
Judaism — with  Chivalry — with  Sacerdotal  Habits — and  with  Witchcraft  ; 
The  baptism  of  Bells,  Tropical  Baptism,  the  Christening  of  Fleets,  and  so  on. 


Six  Sorts  of  Anabaptists,  93 

as  the  language  either  of  ignorance  or  malice.  In  one 
sense  there  were  never  any  Anabaptists  in  Christendom, 
and  yet  according  to  historians  there  have  been  multitudes 
in  different  ages  and  countries.  All,  who  ever  administered 
baptism  a  second  time,  did  it  upon  the  supposition  that  the 
first  baptism  Mas  imperfect.  No  party  of  christians  ever 
held  to  two  baptisms,  or  presumed  to  repeat  the  baptismal 
rite,  after  it  had  been,  in  their  opinion,  once  properly  ad- 
ministered. In  this  sense  there  never  have  been  any  Ana- 
baptists, although  multitudes  have  rebaptized,  or,  in  other 
words,  performed  in  a  right  manner,  what,  upon  their  prin- 
ciples, had  been  improperly  done.  According  to  Robinson 
there  have  been  six  sorts  of  christians,  who  have  been  called 
Anabaptists,  as  different  from  one  another,  as  can  well  be 
imagined.  The  first  placed  the  essence  of  baptism  in  the 
virtue  of  the  person  baptized  ;  the  second  placed  it  in  the 
form  of  words  pronounced  in  the  administration  ;  the  third 
in  the  virtue  of  the  administrator ;  the  fourth  in  the  con- 
sent of  the  person  baptized  ;  the  fifth  in  dipping  ;  and  the 
sixth  in  both  a  profession  of  faith  and  an  immersion. 

By  all  of  these  classes  multitudes  were  rebaptized,  and 
yet  no  party  acknowledged  themselves  Anabaptists  ;  for 
they  all  thought  that  there  was  one  Lord,  one  faith,  and 
one  baptism,  and  that  their  own.  The  Catholicks  most 
eagerly  contend  that  pope  Sylvester  baptized  Constance 
the  Great  into  the  faith  of  the  Trinity  at  Rome,  and  the 
evidence  seems  respectable.  It  is  however  certain  that  he 
was  baptized  at  Nicomedia  just  before  his  death,  and  it  is 
supposed  by  Eusebius,  into  the  Arian  faith.  Both  affirm 
they  baptized  him  ;  neither  says  he  was  rebaptized,  because 
neither  accounted  the  other  a  valid  baptism.  Probably, 
some  Catholic  writers  express  the  matter  exactly  as  it  was. 
Sylvester  baptized  the  emperour,  and  Eusebius  rebaptized 
him.  They  affirm  the  same  of  the  emperour  Valens,  and 
denominate  both  these  emperours  Anabaptists. 

Dionysius  and  his  followers  in  Egypt,  the  Acephali, 
Novatus  of  Rome,  Novatian  of  Carthage,  all  the  Novatian 
churches,  Donatus  and  his  numberless  followers,  called  af- 
ter him  Donatists,  of  whom  there  were  four  hundred  con- 
gregations at  one  time  in  Africa,  all  rejected  the  baptism 
administered  by  those,  who  have  since  been  called  Catho- 
licks, whom  they  reputed  hereticks,  and  whose  churches  they 


94         Anabaptism  a  common  Thing  in  early  Times. 

called  habitations  of  impurity,  and  all  such  as  came  from 
those  churches  to  them  they  rebaptized. 

In  the  year  325,  the  council  of  Nice  decreed,  that  all 
who  came  over  to  the  established  church,  from  the  Paul- 
ianists,  both  men  and  women,  should  be  rebaptized,  while 
proselytes  from  the  Novatians  or  Puritans  were  admitted 
by  the  laying  on  of  hands.  The  reason  for  this  difference 
was,  that  the  Novatians  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  wdiile  the  Paulianists,  who  denied 
the  Trinity,  omitted  this  form.  For  a  long  time  the  Cath- 
olicks  rejected  the  baptism  of  the  Arians,  and  the  Arians  in 
return  rejected  theirs.  Both  parties  rebaptized  their  prose- 
lytes, and  all  practised  dipping. 

These  are  a  few  of  the  many  facts,  which  might  be  ad- 
duced to  show  that  Anabaptism,  as  it  is  improperly  called, 
is  not  peculiar  to  the  Baptists.  According  to  the  common 
acceptation  of  the  term,  her  imperial  majesty  Catherine  HI. 
late  empress  of  all  the  Russias,  was  an  Anabaptist.  "  For 
it  is  strictly  true,"  as  an  elegant  and  accurate  historian  ob- 
serves, "  that  in  the  year  1745,  Peter,  afterwards  Czar 
Peter  III.  espoused  Sophia  Augusta,  princess  of  Anhalt 
Zerbst,  who,  upon  being  rebaptized,  according  to  the  rites 
of  the  Greek  church,  was  called  Catherine  Alexiefna, 
and  so  on."*^ 

Thus  much  for  the  general  subject  of  rebaptization. 
Whatever  notions  of  impiety  people  may  now  attach  to  the 
practice,  it  is  certain  that  all  parties  have  been  more  or  less 
guilty  of  it. 

We  shall  now  turn  our  attention  to  that  class  of  Anabap- 
tists, with  whom  we  claim  relation,  and  ^vho  would  now 
be  considered  Baptists,  by  whatever  name  they  were  for- 
merly called.  This  is  the  sixth  class  in  Mr.  Robinson's  list 
of  rebaptizers.  They  have  ever  held,  that  a  personal  profes- 
sion of  faith,  and  an  immersion  in  water  are  essential  to 
baptism.  Christians  of  these  sentiments  have  existed  in 
every  age,  ar.d  their  number  has  been  larger  than  their 
friends  generally  imagine,  or  than  their  opposers  are  ever 
willing  to  acknowledge.  The  first  christians  ^vere  un- 
doubtedly all  Baptists,  and  we  believe  they  will  all  be  Bap- 
tists again,  when  they  are  all  brought  to  keep  the  ordi- 
nances of  Christ  as  they  were  first  delivered  to  the  saints,. 

*  Robinson's  History  of  Baptism,  p.  459,  460. 


H^e  are  not  ifi  Search  of  the  History  of  a  Name,         95 

For  almost  three  centuries  baptism  was  in  the  main  rightly 
administered  by  all  parties,  for  they  all  required  a  profes- 
sion of  faith,  and  all  immersed. 

We  do  not  pretend  that  the  primitive  saints  were  call- 
ed Baptists  ;  all  went  under  the  general  denomination  of 
Christians,  and  when  they  began  to  file  off  into  parties, 
they  took  the  names  of  the  men  by  whom  they  were  led. 
It  is  not  the  history  of  a  name,  but  the  prevalence  of  a 
principle,  of  which  we  are  in  search.  No  denomination 
of  Protestants  can  trace  the  origin  of  its  name  farther  back 
than  about  the  time  of  the  reformation,  and  most  of  them 
have  originated  since  that  period.  And  I  suppose  it  was 
about  this  time  that  our  brethren  began  to  be  called  Bap- 
tists. And  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  they  assumed  the 
name  in  opposition  to  that  of  Anabaptists,  with  which 
their  enemies  were  continually  reproaching  them.  But 
that  all  the  primitive  christians  would  have  been  call- 
ed Baptists,  if  sentimental  names  had  then  been  in  use, 
and  that  there  always  has  been  a  people  on  earth,  from  the 
introduction  of  Christianit}'^,  who  have  held  the  leading 
sentiments  by  which  they  now  are,  and  always  have  been 
peculiarly  distinguished,  is  a  point  which  I  most  firmly 
believe,  and  which  I  shall  now  attempt  to  prove. 

I  know  that  all  denominations  take  this  ground,  and 
attempt  to  prove  that  their  sentiments  have  existed  from 
the  Apostles  through  every  age.  The  Catholick  pretends 
that  his  church  is  of  Apostolic  origin,  and  was  founded 
by  St.  Peter,  and  he  can  easily  prove  that  a  very  large 
portion  of  the  christian  world,  has,  for  man}' centuries, 
been  and  now  is  of  his  belief.  The  Churchman  pleads 
that  all  the  first  christians  were  Episcopalians,  and  that 
Bishops  Paul,  Peter,  Timothy,  and  Titus,  governed  the 
churches  ;  and  he  moreover  supposes  that  Paul's  parch- 
ment, which  he  left  at  Troas,  contained  his  episcopal  au- 
thority. The  Presbyterians,  Independents,  Congrega- 
tionalists,  Quakers,  Meth6dists,  and  all  contend  that  their 
churches  are  built  after  the  Apostolic  model.  And  even 
the  Shaking  Quaker,  although  he  can  make  no  good  pre- 
tension to  Apostolical  succession,  yet  claims  relation  to 
the  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand  who  have  not 
defiled  themselves  with  women.  I  am  not  about  to  dis- 
pute the  pretensions  or  proofs  of  any  one  sect  in  chris- 


96       Baptists  agree  imth  some  Things  in  most  Sects. 

tendom.  It  is  not  my  object  to  show  what  is  not  true 
respecting  them,  but  what  is  true  respecting  ourselves. 
The  Episcopalian  can  find  Bishops,  and  the  Presbyterian 
Elders  or  Presbyters  among  the  primitive  christians,  and 
the  Congregationalist  and  Independent,  have  good  grounds 
for  saying  that  the  Apostolic  churches  were  of  their  be- 
lief respecting  church  government.  The  Baptists  believe 
in  Episcopacy  and  Presbyterianism  or  eldership,  when 
explained  according  to  their  sense  of  the  terms.  Tney 
hold  to  the  zeal  of  the  Methodists,  and  the  inward  light 
of  the  Quakers,  when  regulated  and  explained  according 
to  their  sense  of  propriety  and  correctness.  With  most 
denominations  they  find  something  with  which  they  agree. 
But  in  the  article  of  baptism  they  differ  from  all.  While 
their  brethren  all  around  admit  infants  to  baptism,  they 
have  always  confined  the  rite  to  professed  believers,  and 
a  baptism  without  an  immersion  is,  in  their  opinion,  "like 
a  guinea  without  gold." 

The  Baptists  have  been  distinguished  from  other  sects, 
not  only  in  their  views  of  the  subjects  and  mode  of  bap- 
tism, but  they  have  always  held  to  other  sentiments  pecu- 
liar to  themselves,  and  which  they  consider  essential  im- 
portant truths,  but  which  their  opponents  have  branded 
with  the  name  of  dangerous  errors  or  damnable  heresies. 

The  supporters  of  believer's  baptism  have,  under  every 
form  of  government,  been  the  advocates  for  liberty  ;  and 
for  this  reason,  they  have  never  flourished  much  except 
in  those  governments  where  some  degree  of  freedom  has 
been  maintained.  Arbitrary  states  have  always  oppress- 
ed them,  and  driven  them  for  refuge  to  milder  regions. 
"They  cannot  live  in  tyrannical  states,  and  free  countries 
are  the  only  places  to  seek  for  them,  for  their  whole  pub- 
lick  religion  is  impracticable  without  freedom."  In  politi- 
cal changes  they  have  always  been  friendly  to  the  cause 
of  liberty,  and  their  passion  for  it  has  at  different  times  led 
some  into  acts  of  indiscretion,  and  scenes  of  danger.  But 
with  a  few  exceptions,  we  may  say  in  truth,  that  the  Bap- 
tists  have  always  adhered  to  their  leading  maxim,  to  be 
subject  to  the  powers  that  be  ;  and  all  the  favour  they  as 
christians  have  asked  of  civil  governments  has  been,  to 
give  them  their  Bibles^  and  let  them  alone.  The  interfer- 
ence of  the  magistrate  in  the  affairs  of  conscience,  they 


Leading  Maxims  of  the  Baptists.  97 

have  never  courted,  but  have  always  protested  against. 
Classical  authority  and  priestly  domination,  they  have 
ever  opposed  and  abhorred,  and  the  equality  of  christians 
as  such,  and  the  absolute  independency  of  churches,  they 
have  most  scrupulously  maintained.  Learning  they  have 
esteemed  in  its  proper  place  ;  but  they  have  also  uniformly- 
maintained,  that  the  servants  of  God  may  preach  his  gos- 
pel without  it.  The  distinction  between  their  ministers 
and  brethren  is  less  than  in  almost  any  other  denomination 
of  christians  ;  whatever  abiUties  their  ministers  possess, 
they  reduce  them  to  the  capacity  of  mere  teachers  ;  and 
they  consider  all  not  only  at  liberty,  but  moreover  bound 
to  exercise,  under  proper  regulations,  the  gifts  they  may- 
possess,  for  the  edification  of  their  brethren. 

We  have  thus  endeavoured  to  define  the  term  Anabap- 
tist, and  have  shown  that  it  never  has  been  admitted  by 
any  party  as  a  significant  term,  but  has  always  been  con- 
sidered slanderous  and  improper.  We  shall  frequently 
make  use  of  it  in  the  following  sketches,  but  it  must 
be  understood,  that  we  use  it  as  a  word,  \vhich  custom  has 
made  necessary. 

We  have  also  attempted  to  give  a  brief  definition  of  the 
term  Baptist,  and  have  at  the  same  time  exhibited  some  of 
the  leading  principles  and  features  of  the  people  to  whom 
it  is  applied.       We  shall  endeavour  to  give  some  few 
sketclies  of  the  history  of  that  class   of  christians,  whom 
we  consider  Baptists,   or  who  have  maintained  the  ordi- 
nances of  Christ  as  they  were  first  delivered  to  the  saints. 
This  chapter  embraces  a  period  of  about  fifteen  hundred 
years ;  most  of  which  time  the  church  was  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  for  that  reason  we  cannot  expect  to  learn  much 
respecting  her.     No  human  pen  has  recorded  her  history 
with  any  degree  of  correctness,  but  it  is  registered  on  high, 
and  will  be  exhibited  in  the  great  day  of  accounts.     In 
travelling  down  the  records  of  a  worldly  sanctuary  we  get 
a  glimpse  now  and  then  of  the  friends  of  godliness,  and  we 
generally  behold  them  destitute,  afflicted,   and  tormented. 
Some  of  the  saints  mistook  the  time  of  their  Lord's  coming, 
and  ventured  out  from  their  obscure  retreats,  in  hopes  to 
meet  him  in  his  providential  dealings,  but   they  generally 
met  with  disaster  and  death.     Antichrist  sent  his  archers 
into  the  M'ilderness  to  hunt  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  and  by 

VOL.    I.  13 


98       Moshchn''s  Description  of  the  Printiti'oe'  Church. 

them  some  reports  have  been  communicated  of  their  char- 
acter and  situation.  But  after  all,  we  know  but  very  little 
of  the  real  church  of  Christ,  for  the  long  lapse  of  many- 
hundred  years.  We  have  very  ample  accounts  of  the  an- 
tichristian  church  through  all  her  movements  ;  and  the  af- 
fairs of  some  of  the  saints  in  Babylon  are  very  minutely 
detailed.  But  the  history  of  the  uncorrupted  church, 
which  maintained  the  worship  and  ordinances  of  Christ, 
while  all  the  world  was  wondering  after  the  beast,  is  cov- 
ered with  obscurity,  and  probably  lost  in  oblivion. 

From  the  New- Testament  account  of  the  primitive 
christians,  we  are  led  to  think  they  were  Baptists.  But  we 
will  quote  the  accounts  given  of  them  by  two  authors,  and 
then  the  reader  may  judge  for  himself.  Mosheim  was  no 
friend  to  the  Baptists,  and  yet  he  has  made  many  import- 
ant concessions  in  their  favour ;  and  in  relating  the  history 
of  the  primitive  church,  he  has  given  a  description,  which 
will  not  certainly  apply  to  his  own  church,  the  Lutheran, 
nor  to  any  sect  in  Christendom  except  the  Baptists. 
*'  Baptism,"  he  observes,  "  was  administered  in  the  first 
century  without  the  public  assemblies,  in  places  appointed 
for  that  purpose,  and  was  performed  by  immersion  of  the 
whole  body  in  water."  By  this  account  it  appears  that 
the  first  christians  went  "  streaming  away  (as  Dr.  Osgood 
would  say)  to  some  pond  or  river"  to  be  baptized.  Re- 
specting church  discipline,  the  same  writer  observes  : 
"  The  churches  in  those  early  times  were  entirely  inde- 
pendent, none  of  them  subject  to  any  foreign  jurisdiction, 
but  each  one  governed  by  its  own  rulers  and  laws.  For 
though  the  churches,  founded  by  the  Apostles,  had  this 
particular  deference  shewn  them,  that  they  were  consulted 
in  difficult  and  doubtful  cases,  yet  they  had  no  juridical 
authority,  no  sort  of  supremacy  over  the  others,  nor  the 
least  right  to  enact  laws  for  them.  Nothing  on  the  contra- 
ry is  more  evident  than  the  perfect  equality  that  reigned 
among  the  primitive  churches,"-*  and  so  on.     "A  bish- 

•  Respecting  the  council  at  Jerusalem,  Mosheim  has  the  following'  note, 
vol.1  p.  105.  "  The  meeting  of  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  mentioned  in  the 
XV.  chapter  of  the  Acts,  is  commonly  considered  as  i\\Q  first  christian  council. 
But  this  notion  arises  from  the  manifest  abuse  of  tlie  word  council.  That 
meeting-  was  only  of  one  church  ;  and  if  sucli  a  meeting'  be  called  a  council, 
it  will  follow  that  there  were  innumerable  councils  in  the  primitive  times. 
But  every  one  knows,  that  a  council  is  an  assembly  of  deputies  or  commis-^ 
sipners  seat  from  several  churches  associated  by  certain  bonds  in  a  general 


Robinson^ s  Account  of  the  Primitive  Church,         99 

«p,  during  the  first  and  second  century,  was  a  person  who 
had  the  care  of  one  christian  assembly,  which  at  that  time 
was,  generally  speaking,  small  enough  to  be  contained  in  a 
private  house.  In  this  assembly  he  acted  not  so  much 
with  the  authority  of  a  master^  as  with  the  zeal  and  dili- 
gence of  a  faithful  servant,'''"^  and  so  on. 

"  There  \vas,"  says  Robinson,  "among  primitive  chris- 
tians, an  uniform  belief  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  and  a 
perfect  harmony  of  affection.  When  congregations  multi- 
plied, so  that  they  became  too  numerous  to  assemble  in 
one  place,  they  parted  into  separate  companies,  and  so 
again  and  again,  but  there  was  no  schism  ;  on  the  contrary 
all  held  a  common  union,  and  a  member  of  one  company 
was  a  member  of  all.  If  any  person  removed  from  one 
place  to  reside  at  another,  he  received  a  letter  of  attestation, 
which  was  given  and  taken  as  proof;  and  this  custom 
very  prudently  precluded  the  intrusion  of  impostors.  In 
this  manner  was  framed  a  catholick  or  universal  church. 
One  company  never  pretended  to  inspect  the  affau's  of  an- 
other, nw  was  there  any  dominion,  or  any  shadow  of  do- 
minion, over  the  consciences  of  any  individuals.  Overt 
acts  were  the  only  objects  of  censure,  and  censure  was 
nothing  but  voting  a  man  out  of  the  community." 

Let  any  candid  man  compare  the  different  denominations 
of  christians  of  the  present  day  with  these  descriptions  of 
the  primitive  church,  and  he  will,  we  think,  be  at  no  loss 
to  dt  termine  which  comes  the  nearest  to  it.  But  Mr. 
Robinson  goes  farther,  and  determines  the  matter  just  as  a 
Baptist  believes.  "  During  the  three  first  centuries, 
christian  congregations  all  over  the  east  subsisted  in  sepa- 

body,  and  therefore  the  supposition  above  mentioned  falls  to  the  ground.** 
Mosheim  appears  to  understand  the  word  council  in  a  high  ecclesiastical 
sense,  and  in  this  point  of  view  his  observations  are  doubtless  correct ;  but 
according  to  the  ideas  which  a  Baptist  would  affix  to  the  term  council,  I  see 
no  impropriety  in  applying  it  to  this  assembly.  But  I  find  our  brethren  differ 
in  their  opinions  respecting  the  nature  of  this  council,  whether  it  was  advi- 
sory or  authoritative.  Dr.  Gill  gives  the  decisions  of  this  assembly  no 
higher  name  than  advice,  sentiments,  determinations,  &c.  and  in  this  point  of 
view,  I  think  it  proper  to  consider  them.  But  it  ought  to  be  observed  at  the 
same  time,  that  the  advice  of  so  respectable  a  body  as  the  apostolic  mother 
church  at  Jerusalem,  assisted  in  its  deliberations,  by  the  apostles  and  elders, 
and  all  acting  under  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  became  a  law  or  a 
rule  of  action  to  ths  church  at  Antioch,  and  to  other  christians  in  the  primr- 
live  ages.     "  This  advice,"  says  Dr.  Gill,  "  was  regarded  as  a  law,"  &c. 

*  MosheiiD;  vol.  i.  p.  103, 104, 105,-126. 


100     Dissetiters  from  the  Greek  and  Roman  Churches. 

rate,  independent  bodies,  unsupported  by  government,  and 
consequently  without  any  secular  power  over  one  another. 
All  this  time  they  were  Baptist  churches,  and  though  all 
the  fathers  of  the  four  first  ages  down  to  Jerome  were  of 
Greece,  Syria,  and  Africa,  and  though  they  gave  great 
numbers  of  histories  of  the  baptism  of  adults,  yet  there  is 
not  one  record  of  the  baptism  of  a  child  till  the  year  370, 
"when  Galates,  the  dying  son  of  the  emperour  Valens,  was 
baptized  by  order  of  a  monarch,  who  swore  he  would  not 
be  contradicted.  The  age  of  the  prince  is  uncertain,  and 
the  assigning  of  his  illness  as  the  cause  of  his  baptism  in- 
dicates clearly  enough  that  infant  baptism  was  not  in 
practice." 

But  the  primitive  Baptist  churches,  in  process  of  time, 
became  corrupted  with  many  errours,  and  w  ith  infant  bap- 
tism among  the  rest.  And  when  Constantine  established 
Christianity  as  the  religion  of  his  empire,  errours,  which  be- 
fore had  taken  root,  soon  grew  up  to  maturity,  the  christian 
church  as  established  by  law  became  a  worldly  sanctuary, 
and  those  who  would  maintain  the  gospel  in  its  purity 
were  obliged  to  separate  from  the  great  mass  of  professors, 
and  retire  to  the  best  refuges  they  could  find.  We  have 
shown  in  the  Review  of  Ecclesiastical  History,  that  the 
church  of  Rome  and  the  Greek  church  have  ever  compre- 
hended the  great  majority  of  those,  who  have  borne  the 
christian  name.  But  from  these  two  extensive  establish- 
ments multitudes  have  dissented.  The  dissenters  have 
been  of  every  possible  description  and  character,  and  it  may 
be  truly  said  of  every  religious  absurdity  and  fantastical 
opinion,  that  there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun,  for  they 
have  all  been  broached  and  maintained  in  former  times. 
Ail  dissenters  were  denounced  hereticks,  and  in  many  cases 
the  name  was  not  misapplied  ;  but  on  the  otiier  hand  it  is 
certain,  that  for  many  centuries  we  must  search  among  re- 
puted hereticks,  for  what  little  of  godliness  remained  on  the 
earth. 

Mr.  Robinson,  in  his  Ecclesiastical  Researches,  under 
the  head  Greek  Church,  has  entered  largely  into  the  his- 
tory of  dissenters  from  that  wide  spread  community,  and 
the  foUovA-ing  sketches  collected  from  difi'erent  parts  of  the 
article,  contain  the  substance  of  what  he  has  said  respect- 
ing them. 


Massaliaiis  and  Euchites.  101 

"  The  first  founders  of  the  dissenting  sects  were  primi- 
tive christians,  who  would  not  conform.  They  had,  as 
an  ancient  writer  says,  neither  head  nor  tail,  neither  prin- 
ces nor  legislators,  and  consequently  no  slaves  ;  they  had 
no  beginning  nor  no  end,  and  in  this  respect  they  answer- 
ed one  of  their  nick  names,  which  was  Melchisedecians, 
for  like  Melchisedec  they  were  without  father,  without 
mother,  widiout  beginning  of  days  or  end  of  life.  The 
church  thought  them  enthusiasts  and  blasphemers.  The 
truth  is,  they  followed  no  one,  but  acted  as  their  own  un- 
derstandings ordered  them,  as  good  men  in  all  ages  have 
always  done." 

"  This  large  body  of  dissenters  was  resident  in  the  em- 
pire from  the  first  establishment  of  the  church  in  the 
fourth  century  to  the  destruction  of  it  in  the  thirteenth. 
They  were  named  Massalians  and  Euchites,  the  one  a 
Hebrew,  the  other  a  Greek  name,  and  both  signifying  a 
people  that  pray,  for  they  placed  religion,  not  in  specula- 
tion, but  in  devotion  and  piety.  Euchite  among  the 
Greeks  was  a  general  name  for  a  dissenter,  as  Waldensian 
was  in  the  Latin  church,  and  as  Nonconformist  is  in  Eng- 
land."* 

"•  Some  of  these  dissenters  dogmatized  as  the  estab- 
lished clergy  did,  and  they  became  Manichean,  Arian, 
and  Athanasian  Euchites.  Others  were  named  after  the 
countries  where  they  most  abounded,  as  Bulgarians,  Mace- 
donians, Armenians,  Phrygians,  Cataphrygians,  Galatians, 
Philippopolitans,  or,  as  it  was  corruptly  sounded  in  the 
west,  Popolicans,  Poblicans,  Publicans.  Others  were 
named  after  some  eminent  teacher,  as  Paulicians,  and 
Paulianists  from  Paul  of  Sarnosata,  or,  says  the  princess 
Comnena,  from  Paul  and  John  the  sons  of  Callinices,  No- 
vatians,  Donatists,  Artemonites,  and  many  more  were  of 
this  class." 

The  first  council  of  Nice  took  notice  of  two  sorts  of  dis- 
senters, the  Cathari  or  Puritans,  and  the  Paulianists. 
"  The  first  held  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  as  the  Athana- 
sians  in  the  church  did  ;  but  thinking  the  church  a  world- 
ly community,  they  baptized  all  that  joined  their  assem- 

*  Mosheim  has  given  a  similar  account  of  the  Massalians  or  Euchites  and 
the  Waldenses,  and  Dr.  Maclaine  has  explained  the  matter  more  fully  in  a 
note,  vol.  III.  pp.  105 — 6. 


102    The  Sum  of  the  Matter  respecting  Greek  Dissenters. 

blies  by  trine  immersion,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy-Ghost,  on  their  own  personal  profession  of  faith, 
and  if  they  had  been  baptized  before,  they  rebaptized  them. 
The  latter  baptized  by  dipping  once  in  the  name  of  Christ, 
and  though  they  varied  from  the  Arians,  yet  they  all 
thought  Christ  only  a  man." 

The  Cathari  or  Puritans  would,  according  to  this  au- 
thor's account,  now  be  called  Predestinarians  or  Calvinists ; 
and  the  Paulianists  would  be  entitled  to  the  appellation  of 
Arminians  and  Socinians. 

Dr.-  Mosheim,  in  speaking  of  the  Greek  dissenters,  says 
truly,  "  that  the  accounts,  which  have  been  given  of  them, 
are  not  in  all  respects  to.be  depended  upon  ;  and  there  are 
several  circumstances,  which  render  it  extremely  probable, 
that  many  persons  of  eminent  piety  and  zeal  for  genuine 
Christianity,  were  confounded  by  the  Greeks  with  these 
enthusiasts,  and  ranked  in  the  list  of  hereticks,  merely  on 
account  of  their  opposing  the  vicious  practices  and  the  in- 
solent tyranny  of  the  priesthood,  and  their  treating  with 
derision  that  motley  spectacle  of  superstition  that  was  sup- 
ported by  public  authority.  In  short,  the  righteous  and 
the  profligate,  the  wise  and  the  foolish,  were  equally  com- 
prehended under  the  name  of  Massalians,  whenever  they 
opposed  the  reigning  superstition  of  the  times,  or  looked 
upon  true  and  genuine  piety,  as  the  essence  of  the  chris- 
tian character."* 

The  sum  of  the  matter  seems  to  be,  that  the  established 
Greek  church  held  both  the  subject  and  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism as  the  first  institution  prescribed  for  four  or  five  hun- 
dred years,  losing  the  subject  by  degrees,  but  retaining 
the  mode  to  this  day  :  and  that  the  bulk  of  the  dissen- 
4£rs,  perhaps  all,  retained  both  tlie  subject  and  the  mode, 
always  dipping,  and  never  dipping  any  but  on  their  own 
personal  profession  of  faith." 

Much  the  same  may  be  said  respecting  the  number  and 
character  of  dissenters  from  the  church  of  Rome.  Some 
separated,  because  the  leading  party  had  become  corrupt, 
and  others  to  follow  reveries  of  enthusiastic  zeal.  The 
Novalians  appear  to  have  been  among  the  earliest  dissen- 
ters  of  the  former  kind.  In  the  third  century,  when  the 
primitive  simplicity  of  the  gospel   was  fast  going  into  de. 

•  Moshiem,  Vol.  III.  pp.  105—6. 


Noiiatians.  103 

cay,  a  great  separation  took  place  at  Rome,  and  multitudes 
bore  a  noble  testimony  against  the  prevailing  corruption  of 
the  times.  At  Rome,  these  dissenters  were  called  Nova- 
tians,  from^  Novatus,  one  of  the  chief  managers  of  the 
affair.  They  called  themselves  Puritans,  or,  as  the  Greeks 
translated  the  word,  Cathari  ;  and  they  intended  by  the 
name  to  signify  the  fact,  that  they  separated  from  the  rest, 
because  their  morals  were  impure.* 

As  yet,  all  baptized  by  immersion  ;  and  the  Novatians 
or  Puritans  rebaptized  all,  who  came  over  from  the  pre- 
vailing party.     They  were  of  course  Baptists. 

Milner  acknowledges  that  the  Novatians  were  the  most 
respectable  of  all  the  dissenting  churches  ;  notwithstand- 
ing he  complains  much  of  their  narrow  bigotry  in  things 
of  no  moment,  t 

Mosheim,  always  disposed  to  be  the  advocate  of  the 
great  body  which  he  calls  the  church,  has,  amidst  his  se- 
vere strictures  on  the  Novatians,  given  them  a  character, 
which  all  evangelical  christians  cannot  but  in  the  main 
approve.  "  This  sect,"  says  he,  "  cannot  be  charged  with 
having  corrupted  the  doctrine  of  Christianity  by  their  opin- 
ions ;  their  crime  was  that  by  the  unreasonable  severity  of 
their  discipline,  they  gave  occasion  to  the  most  deplorable 
divisions,  and  made  an  unhappy  rent  in  the  church.  They 
considered  the  christian  church  as  a  society  where  virtue 
and  innocence  reigned  universally,  and  none  of  whose 
members,  from  their  entrance  into  it,  had  defiled  them- 
selves with  any  enormous  crime  ;  and,  of  consequence, 
they  looked  upon  every  society,  which  readmitted  heinous 
offenders  to  its  communion,  as  unworthy  of  the  title  of  a 
true  christian  church.  It  was  from  hence  also,  that  they 
assumed  the  title  of  Cathari,  i.  e.  the  pure  ;  and  what 
sliewed  still  a  more  extravagant  degree  of  vanity  and  arro- 
gance," (this  language  is  perfectly  understood  by  all  the 
advocates  for  believer's  baptism)  "  they  obliged  such  as 
came  over  to  them  from  the  general  body  of  Christians,  to 
submit  to  be  baptized  a  second  time,  as  a  necessary  prepa- 
ration for  entering  into  their  society."! 

*  Robinson's  Ecclesiastical  Researclies,  pp.  124 — 5. 
t  Milner's  Church  History,  Vol.  II.  p.  240. 

f  Mosheim,  vol.  i.  p.  299,  301. 


104  The  NoDatians  found  many  Churches. 

The  church,  whose  tranquillity  the  Novatians  disturbed, 
was,  according  to  Mosheim's  ou-n  account,  in  a  most  de- 
plorable condition.  *'  Her  rulers  were  sunk  in  luxurv 
and  voluptuousness,  puffed  up  with  vanity,  arrogance,  and 
ambition,  possessed  with  a  spirit  of  contention  and  discord, 
and  addicted  to  many  other  vices."  All  nonconformists 
know  what  is  meant  by  the  crime  of  disturbing  the  church. 

It  is  generally  admitted  by  all  who  have  written  their  his- 
tory, that  the  Novatians  laid  it  down  as  a  fundamental  prin- 
ciple, that  no  apostate  or  heinous  offender,  should  be  read- 
mitted into  their  communion,  however  genuine  his  repent- 
ance might  appear.  This  maxim  unquestionably  deserves 
the  name  of  "  unreasonable  severity."  It  was  probably 
suggested  by  the  corruptions  of  the  times,  and  we  cannot 
suppose  it  was  long  maintained.* 

The  Catholick  party  tax  Novatian  with  being  the  parent 
of  an  innumerable  multitude  of  congregations  of  Puritans 
all  over  the  empire.  And  it  is  probable  that  the  people, 
who  were  afterwards  called  Waldenses,  were  his  descend- 
ants. "  Great  numbers,"  says  Robinson,  "  followed  the 
example  of  Novatian,  and  all  over  the  empire,  Puritan 
churches  were  constituted  and  flourished  through  the  suc- 
ceeding two  hundred  years.  Afterward,  when  penal  laws 
obligvd  them  to  meet  in  corners  and  worship  God  in  pri- 
vate, they  were  distinguished  by  a  variety  of  names,  and  a 
succession  of  them  continued  till  the  reformation."! 

"  It  is  impossible  to  prove  that  the  nonconformists  of 
early  times  baptized  their  children  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is 
certain  some  of  them  did  not." 

In  other  countries,  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  church 
of  Rome,  we  meet  u  ith  many  dissenters,  who  appear  to 
have  maintained  the  peculiar  sentiments  of  the  Baptists, 

•  Mr.  Robinson  supposes  that  a  church  of  the  Novatians  would  address  a 
candidate  for  admission  in  the  following  manner  :  *'  If  3'ou  be  a  virtuous  be- 
liever, and  will  accede  to  our  confederacy  against  sin,  you  may  be  admitted 
among  us  by  baptism,  w  if  any  Catholick  has  baptized  you  before,  by  rebap- 
tism  ;  but,  mark  tliis,  if  you  violate  the  contract  by  lapsing  into  idolatry  or 
vice,  we  shall  separate  you  from  our  community,  and  do  what  you  will,  we 
shall  nexei- readmit  you.  God  forbid  we  should  injure  either  your  person, 
your  property  or  your  character,  or  even  judge  of  the  truth  of  your  repentance, 
and  your  future  state  ;  but  you  can  never  be  readmitted  to  our  community, 
without  our  giving  up  the  best  and  only  coercive  guardian  we  have  of  the  pu- 
rity of  our  morals." 

t  Ecclesiastical  Researches,  p.  126—7'. 


Anabaptists  in  Spain.,.. Paterines  in  Italy.         105 

Spain,  which  was  long  one  of  the  main  pillars  of  the  papal 
power,  and  in  which  the  bloody  inquisition  has  displayed 
all  the  terrors  of  its  sanguinary  spirit,  was  once  a  land  of 
piety,  where  a  good  degree  of  freedom  was  enjoyed.  As 
the  established  church  sunk  into  corruption,  the  pious  dis- 
sented from  it,  and  for  a  time  were  permitted,  without 
much  molestation,  to  enjoy  their  peculiar  opinions.  But 
in  process  of  time,  the  inquisition,  with  its  solemn  horrors, 
like  death,  put  all  under  its  feet,  and  dissenters  were  either 
terrified  into  conformity,  or  dispersed  into  other  countries. 

While  dissenters  were  permitted  to  reside  in  Spain,  they 
were  called,  in  general,  Anabaptists.  They  baptized  con- 
verts from  pagans  and  Jews,  and  rebaptized  .all  Catholicks, 
who  came  over  to  their  communion,  and  they  baptized 
none  without  a  personal  confession  of  faith.* 

The  Paterines  of  Italy  were,  for  a  time,  a  numerous  and 
flourishing  sect.  Different  accounts  are  given  of  theii" 
doctrinal  sentiments.  They  were  charged  by  their  ene- 
mies with  being  Manicheans  ;  this  charge,  however,  was 
often  brought  against  the  most  pious  and  orthodox.  Mr. 
Robinson  thinks  they  v\  ere  Unitarians,  but  it  is  not  prob- 
able they  all  rejected  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  They 
W'ere  sometimes  called  Gazari,  which  is  a  corruption  of 
Cathari  or  Puritans.  Bat  Patrini  or  Paterines,  was  the 
name  by  which  they  were  generally  distinguished.  la 
Milan,  where  this  name  was  first  used,  it  answered  to  the 
English  words  vulgar,  illiterate,  low-bred ;  intimating 
what  was  a  fact,  that  these  despised  christians  were  of  the 
lower  order  of  people.  It  is  remarkable  of  the  Paterines, 
that  in  their  examinations,  they  were  not  accused  of  any 
immoralities,  but  were  condemned  for  speculations,  or 
rather  for  virtuous  rules  of  action,  which  all  the  world 
counted  heresies.  They  said — a  christian  church  ought 
to  consist  of  only  good  people — that  it  was  unlawful  to 
kill  mankind — that  the  church  ought  not  to  persecute  any, 
even  the  wicked — that  there  was  no  need  of  priests,  es- 
pecially wicked  ones.  In  these  and  other  reasons  and 
rules  they  all  agreed,  but  in  doctrinal  speculations  they 
widely  differed. 

14 

*  Robinson's  Ecclesiastical  Researches,  p.  246. 


iOG  JVa!denses»,., Piedmont, 

As  the  Catholicks  of  those  times  baptized  by  immersion, 
the  Pate  lines,  by  what  name  soever  they  were  called,  as 
Manicheans,  Gazari,  Josephists,  Arnoidists,  Passagiiies, 
Bulgarians  or  Bougares,  made  no  complaint  of  the  mode 
of  baptizing  :  but,  when  they  were  examined,  they  ob- 
jected vehemently  against  the  baptism  of  infonts,  and  con- 
demned it  as  an  error.  They  said,  among  other  things, 
that  a  child  knew  nothing  of  the  matter,  that  he  had  no 
desire  to  be  baptized,  and  was  incapable  of  making  any 
confession  of  faith,  and  that  the  willing  and  professing  of 
another,  could  be  of  no  service  to  him.* 

The  great  Waldensian  body  demands  our  next  atten- 
tion, and  in  giving  their  history  we  shall  comprehend  that 
of  most  of  the  other  Baptist  dissenters  in  the  dark  ages  of 
popery,  for  they  all  appear  to  have  been  in  some  measure 
connected  with  it. 

The  Waldenses  are,  by  all  parties  of  Protestants,  con- 
sidered to  have  been  witnessess  for  the  truth,  through 
all  the  dark  reign  of  superstition  and  error.  And  the 
Waldensian  heresy,  was  by  the  Catholicks  counted  the 
oldest  in  the  world  and  the  most  formidable  to  the  church 
of  Rome.  These  people,  for  a  number  of  centuries,  had 
their  chief  residence  in  the  vallies  of  Piedmont,  and  from 
thence,  in  process  of  time,  they  spread  over  most  of  the 
countries  of  Europe. 

Piedmont  is  a  principality  of  Italy  175  miles  long  and 
40  broad,  bounded  north  by  Vallais,  east  by  Milan  and 
Montferrat,  south  by  Nice  and  Genoa,  west  by  France 
and  Savoy.  This  country  was  formerly  a  part  of  Lom- 
bardy,  afterwards  it  was  subject  to  the  king  of  Sardinia, 
but  in  1800  it  was  conquered  by  France.  Piedmojit  lies 
at  the  foot  of  the  Alps,  and  contains  many  high  moun- 
tains, among  which  are  rich  and  fruitful  vallies,  as  popu- 
lous as  any  part  of  Italy.  Turin  is  the  capital.  But  wc 
nmst  distinguish  between  the  principality  of  Piedmont 
and  the  vallies  which  were  famous  for  the  Waldenses,  be- 
tween the  common  inhabitants  and  the  established  religion 
of  the  country,  and  the  faithful  witnesses  for  the  truth, 
which  resided  here  from  time  immemorial. 

I'he  church  of  Rome  is  the  established  religion  of  the 
principality  of  Piedmont,  and  has  been  from  early  times  ; 

*  Researches  p.  40S. 


IVhere  the  Waldenses  dwelt.  107 

but  several  causes  contributed  to  render  the  establish- 
ment, for  many  centuries,  more  mild  and  less  troublesome 
to  dissenters  here,  than  in  other  parts  of  the  papal  domin- 
ions. The  bishop  of  TuA  i,  the  capital  of  Piedmont,  was 
not  a  Metropolitan,  till  1515.  No  bishops  before  were 
subject  to  hini.  At  present,  there  are  in  the  principality 
of  Piedmont,  eight  bishopricks.  Of  these  only  three  are 
suffragan  to  the  archbishoprick  of  Turin.  One  of  them 
was  not  erected  into  an  episcopal  see  till  the  year  1388, 
nor  another  till  1592,  and  one  hath  only  seven  parishes  in  it. 
Three  of  the  remaining  five  are  subject  to  the  archbishop 
of  Milan  ;  one  is  an  exempt,  and  subject  only  to  the  pope, 
and  the  other  is  united  to  another  province.  This  is  the 
modern  arrangement  ;  but  in  the  middle  ages,  what  few 
bishops  there  were,  considered  themselves  in  the  province 
of  Milan,  and  subject  to  the  archbishop  ;  but  as  their 
bishopricks  were  in  different  states,  none  of  which  suffered 
the  incumbents  to  exercise  temporal  dominion,  except  in 
particular  cases  on  their  own  lordships,  and  generally  not 
there,  it  is  easy  to  infer  that  episcopacy  in  Piedmont  was 
not  materially  injurious  to  the  liberties  of  the  people. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  Waldenses  enjoyed  a 
degree  of  repose,  and  maintained  the  pure  worship  of 
God,  in  the  remote  ages  of  idolatry  and  superstition. 

It  is  supposed  by  President  Edwards  that  the  ancient 
Waldenses  dwelt. mostly  in  five  vallies  on  the  southern 
side  of  the  Alps,  which  were  begirt  around  with  high  and 
almost  impassable  hills,  and  if  any  local  residence  is  in- 
tended in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Revelation,  this  mountain- 
ous retreat  promises  most  of  all  others  to  be  the  one. 

But  it  is  evident  these  people  dwelt  in  many  other  val- 
lies, on  both  sides  of  the  Alps,  in  France  and  Italy,  and 
were  dispersed  in  many  places  in  all  the  surrounding 
country.  But  the  cruel  inquisitors  at  length  found  their 
way  to  the  happy  asylums  of  these  faithful  witnesses,  multi- 
tudes were  slain,  and  others  were  dispersed  in  almost  all 
the  European  kingdoms. 

It  v.ill  be  proper,  before  we  proceed  any  further,  to  give 
some  account  of  the  beginning  of  the  Waldenses,  and  of 
the  manner  in  which  they  received  their  name.  And  re- 
specting the  origin  of  thi.  body  of  christians,  two  leading 
sentiments  have  prevailed.     The  papists  date  their  originL 


108  Claude^  Bishop  of  Turin, 

in  the  twelfth  century,  under  the  famous  reformer  Peter 
Waldo.  With  this  account  Moshicm  and  some  others 
seem  to  agree.  The  papists  are  interested  in  disputing 
the  antiquity  of  the  Waldensian  sect,  and  dating  its  ori- 
gin as  late  as  possible  ;  for  if  they  can  prove  that  they  had 
no  existence  until  the  twelfth  century,  they  thence  infer 
that  the  church  of  Rome  prevailed  universally  from  the 
early  ages  up  to  that  time.  But  Protestants  generally  of 
all  classes  contend  that  the  Waldenses  are  of  much  higher 
antiquity  than  the  time  of  Peter  Waldo  of  Lyons  ;  but 
they  are  not  all  agreed  respecting  the  time  and  circum- 
stances of  their  origin. 

Robinson  and  Milner  consider  Claude,  bishop  of  Turin, 
the  founder  of  the  sect  of  the  Waldenses.     The  former 
calls  him  the  Wickliff  of  Turin,  and  the  latter  the  chris- 
tian  hero  of  the  ninth  centurv.      This  famous  reformer 
was  a  native  of  Spain.      He  was  chaplain  to  the  emperor 
Lewis  the  Meek,  who  preferred  him   to  the  bishoprick  of 
Turin,   where  he  distinguished  himself  by  his  zeal  against 
images,  relicks,  pilgrimages,  and   crosses,    all   of    which 
abounded  in  his  diocess.       Three  or  four  French   monks 
wrote  against  him  as  a  blasphemer  and  a  heretick  ;  and  his 
own  people  were  so  refractory  that  he  went  in  fear  of  his 
life.     He  bore  a  noble  testimony  against  the  prevailing  er- 
rors of  his  time,  and  was  undoubtedly  a  most  respectable 
character.     He  was  alive  in  the  year  839.     He  denied  the 
supremacy  of  the  bishop  of  Rome  ;   but  it  is  also  said  that 
he  expressed  a  great  respect  for  catholici*n,  and  opposed 
schism  and  heresy  with  all  his  might. *^     Thus  far  the  his- 
tory of  Claude  of  Turin  appears  plain  ;   but  respecting  the 
effects  of  his  ministry  in  Turin  and  other  parts  of  Piedmont 
different  opinions  are  entertained.     But  it  appears  evident 
he  was  a  man  of  evangelical  zeal  ;    that  he  was  the  means 
of  promoting  the  cause  of  the  dissenters  in  Piedmont,  while 
he  himself  remained  in   the    establishment  ;    that  he  laid 
down  principles  in  his  preaching,    which  he  did  not  carry 
through  in  his  practice,  a  thing  very  common  for  reformers 
of  his  character  ;  that  his  disciples  reasoned  consequentially 
on  the  principles  of  their  master,  and  after  his  death,  if  not 
before,  renounced  the  communion  of  the  church  of  Rome, 
together  with  all  the  pompous  and  superstitious  appendages 

*  Robinson's  Ecc,  Res.  p.  447-.8. 


Origin  of  the  Name  Waldenses,  109 

with  which  it  was  surrounded.  But  I  cannot  think  that 
Claude  of  Turin  was  tlie  founder  of  the  sect  of  the  Wal- 
denses.  They  doubtless  profited  by  his  ministry,  and  re- 
ceived great  accessions  from  his  converts  ;  but  from  the 
suggestions  of  both  enemies  and  friends,  I  must  beheve 
that  there  was  a  body  of  christians  in  the  vaUies  of  Piedmont 
and  in  the  recesses  of  the  Alps,  of  the  same  character  of  the 
Waldenses,  long  before  the  time  of  Claude. 

Dr.  AUix,  in  his  history  of  the  churches  of  Piedmont, 
gives  this  account  of  the  origin  of  the  Waldenses  :  That 
for  three  hundred  years  or  more,  the  bishop  of  Rome  at- 
tempted to  subjugate  the  church  of  Milan  under  his  juris- 
diction ;  and  at  last  the  interest  of  Rome  grew  too  potent 
for  the  church  of  Milan,  planted  by  one  of  the  disciples  ; 
insomuch,  that  the  bishop  and  the  people,  rather  than  own 
their  jurisdiction,  retired  to  the  vallies  of  Lucern  and  An- 
grogne  ;  and  thence  were  called  Vallenses,  VVallenses,  or 
the  People  of  the  VaUies.* 

President  Edwards,  as  quoted  by  Mr.  Menill  in  his 
Miniature  History  of  the  Baptists,  has  the  following  obser- 
vations respecting  these  ancient  witnesses  for  the  truth  : 
*'  It  is  supposed  that  these  people  first  betook  themselves 
to  this  desert,  secret  place  among  the  mountains,  to  hide 
themselves  from  the  severity  of  the  heathen  persecutions, 
which  were  before  Constantine  the  great,  and  thus  the  wo- 
man fled  into  the  wilderness  from  the  face  of  the  serpent, 
as  related  in  Revelation."  &;c. 

Cranz,  in  his  history  of  the  United  Brethren,  as  quoted 
by  Ivimey,  has  the  following  statement  respecting  the  origin 
of  the  Waldenses.  "  These  ancient  christians,  (who,  be- 
sides  the  several  names  of  reproach  given  them,  were  at 
length  denominated  W^aldenses,  from  one  of  the  most  emi- 
nent teachers,  Peter  Waldus,  who  is  said  to  have  emigrated 
with  the  rest  from  France  into  Bohemia,  and  there  to  have 
died)  date  their  origin  from  the  beginning  of  the  fourth 
century  ;  when  one  Leo,  at  the  great  revolution  in  religion 
under  Constantine  the  great,  opposed  the  innovations  of 
Sylvester,  bishop  of  Rome,"  Sccf 

*  See  Alix's  History  of  the  churches  in  Piedmont,  and  Perrin's  Histo- 
ry of  the  Waldenses,  as  quoted  by  Hannah  Adams,  in  her  View  of  Religion^ 
p.  304. 

t  Ivimey,  p.  57. 


110  Origin  of  the  Name  IValdenses. 

The  cruel  Reinerus,  who  spent  much  time  in  examin- 
ing these  people,  observes,  that  "some  aver  their  exist- 
ence from  the  days  of  Sylvester,*  and  others  from  the  very- 
time  of  the  Apostles."  This  account  the  inquisitor  seems 
to  have  taken  from  the  Wuldenses  themselves,  and  it  ap- 
pears highly  probable,  that  it  is  in  substance  correct. 
Their  doctrine  had  existed  from  the  time  of  the  Apostles, 
a!".d  they,  as  a  body,  had  probably  existed  from  the  time  of 
Sylvester,  when  the  church  sunk  into  superstition  and  for- 
mality, and  the  pious  retired  from  the  pompous  parade  of 
a  worldly  minded  throng. 

I  might  quote  concurring  testimonies  of  the  high  anti- 
quity of  the  VValdensi'in  christians.  Some  popish  writers 
own  that  they  never  submitted  to  the  church  of  Rome, 
and  all  acknowledge,  that  all  her  cruel  laws  and  persecut- 
ing measures,  could  never  extirpate  them. 

The  beforementioned  inquisitor  pretends,  that  there  had 
been  more  than  seventy  sects  of  hereticks,  of  which, 
through  the  grace  of  God,  all  were  extinct,  except  four, 
Manicheans,  x^rians,  Runcarians,  and  Leonists,  or  the 
poor  men  of  Lyons,  another  name  of  the  Waldenses. 

From  all  we  can  learn  it  appears,  that  the  recesses  of 
the  Alps  and  the  Pyrenees,  together  with  the  adjoining 
hills  and  vallies  in  France,  Spain,  and  Italy,  were  distin- 
guished retreats  oF  the  faithful  friends  of  God,  in  the  dark- 
est ages  of  the  christian  world.  Mr.  Robinson  with  hi«» 
usual  singularity,  observes  "  that  Greece  was  the  parent, 
Spain  and  Navarre  the  nurses,  France  the  step-mother, 
and  Savoy  the  jailer  of  this  class  of  christians  called  Wal- 
denses."f 

The  Waldenses  received  their  name  either  from  the 
vallies  which  they  inhabited,  or  from  Peter  Waldo  or 
Valdus  of  Lyons,  in  France.  From  the  Latin  liallisy 
came  the  English  valley,  the  French  and  Spanish  valle,  the 
Italian  valdesi,  and  the  low  Dutch  valley e.  The  word  for 
valley  in  the  language  of  Piedmont  is  vaux,  and  the  inhab- 
itants  of  vallies  were  hence  called  vaudois,  the  name,  which 

*  The  Sylvester,  whose  name  thus  frequently  occurs,  was  the  bishop  of 
Rome  in  the  time  of  Constantme,  and  the  one,  who,  the  Catholicks  contend, 
baptized  the  emperor. 

•f-  Robmson's  Res.  p.  320. — Piedmont  was,  for  a  long  time,  subject  to  the 
dukes  of  Savoy. 


Feter  Waldo.  Ill 

the  people  now  in  question  gave  themselves.  But  Eng- 
lish and  Latin  writers  used  the  term  Vatlenses  instead  of 
^aiidois,  which  was,  in  jirocess  of  time,  changed  into  FaU 
aenses  and  then  into  Wakknses^  which  last  term,  all  at 
present  agree  to  use.  This  account  of  the  origin  of  the 
name  Waldenses  is  highly  probable,  and  would  seem  to 
admit  of  no  dispute,  were  it  not  for  Peter  Waldo,  a  famous 
reformer  of  the  twelth  century.  This  eminent  man  was  a 
wealthy  merchant  of  Lyons,  in  France,  who,  upon  his  em* 
bracing  the  truth,  quitted  his  mercantile  employment,  dis- 
tributed his  wealth  among  the  poor,  procured  a  translation 
of  the  Scriptures  in  the  French  language,  became  a  zeal- 
ous and  successful  preacher  of  the  gospel,  had  many  dis- 
ciples and  follow  ers,  who  formed  religious  assemblies  first 
in  France  and  afterwards  in  Lombardy,  and  in  a  short  time 
throughout  the  other  provinces  of  Europe.  His  followers 
were  sometimes  called  Leonists,  or  the  poor  men  of  Lyons, 
but  generally  they  were  denominated  Waldenses.  And 
Mosheim  asserts  that  the  whole  sect  of  the  Waldenses 
leceived  their  name  from  Waldo.  But  Dr.  Maclaine,  his 
translator,  asserts  the  contrary,  and  contends  that  Waldo 
derived  his  name  from  the  true  Valdenses  or  Waldenses 
of  Piedmont.* 

*  "  Certain  writers,  says  Mosheim,  g^ive  diflerent  accounts  of  the  origin  of  the 
Waldenses,  and  suppose  that  they  were  so  called  from  the  vallies  in  which  they 
had  resided  for  many  ages  before  the  birtli  of  Peter  Waldus.  But  these  writ- 
ers have  no  authority  to  support  this  assertion,  and  beside  this,  they  are  re- 
futed amply  by  the  best  historians.  I  do  not  mean  to  deny,  that  there  were  ia 
the  vallies  of  Piedmont  long  before  this  period,  a  set  of  men,  who  differed 
widely  from  the  opinions  adopted  and  inculcated  by  the  church  of  Rome, 
and  whose  doctrine  resembled,  i\\  many  respects,  that  of  the  Waldenses  ; 
all  that  I  maintain  is  that  these  inhabitants  of  the  vallies  abovementioned 
are  to  be  carefully  distinguished  from  the  Waldenses,  w  ho  according  to  the 
unanimous  voice  of  history,  were  originally  inhabitants  of  Lyons,  and  deriv- 
ed their  name  from    Peter  Waldus,  their  founder  and   chief." 

q3*  "We  may,  says  Maclaine,  venture  to  affirm  the  contrary  with  the  learn- 
ed Beza  and  other  writers  of  note  ;  for  it  seems  evident  from  the  best  records, 
that  Valdus  derived  his  name  from  the  true  valdenses  of  Piedn»ont,  whose  doc- 
trine he  adopted,  and  who  were  known  by  the  names  oivaudois  and  valdenses,  be- 
fore he  or  his  immediate  followers  existed.  If  the  valdenses  or  waldenses  had 
derived  their  name  from  any  eminent  teacher,  it  would  probably  have  been  from 
Valdo,  who  was  remarkable  for  the  purity  of  his  doctrine  in  the  ninth  century, 
and  was  the  contemporary  and  chief  counsellor  of  Berengarius.  But  the  truth 
is,  that  they  derive  their  name  from  their  vallies  in  Piedmont,  which  in  their 
language  are  called  Vaux,  hence  Voidois,  their  true  name  ;  hence  Peter,  or 
as  others  call  him,  John  of  Lyons,  was  called  in  Latin,  Valdvs,  because  he 
had  adopted  their  doctrine  ;  and  hence  the  term  valdenses  and  lualdenses 
used  by  those,  who  write  in  English  or  Latin,  in  the  place  ofvaudois.  The 
bloody  inquisitor  Reinerus  Sacco,  who  exerted  such  a  furious  zesd  for  the 
destruction  of  the  vialdcnses,  lived  but  about  eighty  years  after  Valdus  ot  Ly- 


112        Principal  Leaders  among  the  Waldensss, 

But  leaving  the  dispute  about  the  manner  in  which  the 
Waldenses  received  their  name,  it  is  certain  that  they  had 
existed  as  a  distinct  and  peculiar  people,  many  ages  be- 
fore "\A'aldo,  that  his  numerous  followers  united  with  them 
in  promoting  the  cause  of  godliness,  that  they  all,  togeth- 
er with  all  others  of  their  character,  were  henceforward 
denominated  Waldenses ;  and  that  besides  the  name  of 
Waldenses,  they  had  many  more  which  were  taken  from 
their  peculiar  sentiments,  their  habitations,  their  circum- 
stances, their  connections,  their  teachers,  their  own  in- 
firmities, or  the  inventive  malice  of  their  enemies.* 

Bruno  and  Berengarius,  Peter  de  Bruis  and  Henry  his 
disciple,  Arn(;Id  of  Briscia,  Peter  Waldo,  and  Walter 
Lollard,  seem  to  have  been  among  the  principal  lead- 
ers of  the  Waldenses  in  ancient  times.  They  all  had 
numerous  followers,  who,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
times,  were  called  after  the  names  of  their  leaders.  We 
have  the  testimony  of  Mosheim,  Robinson,  and  others, 
that  the  papists  comprehended  all  the  adversaries  of  the 
pope  and  the  superstitions  of  Rome,  under  the  general 
name  of  W^aldenses.  The  Albigenses  or  Albienses,  a 
large  branch  of  this  sect,  were  so  denominated  from  the 
town  of  Albi,  in  France,  where  the  Waldenses  flourii>hed.t 
The  term  Cathari  or  Puritans,  was  also  frequently  applied 
to  the  Waldensian  christians,  as  it  was  to  evangelical  dis- 
senters in  other  countries.  Whenever,  therefore,  in  the 
folla\^  ing  sketches,  the  terms  Berengarians,  Petrobrusians, 
Henricians,  Arnoldists,  W'aldenses,  Albigenses,  Leonists, 
or  the  poor  men  of  Lyons,  Lollards,  Cathari,  &c.  occur,  it 

ons,  and  must  therefore  be  supposed  to  know  whether  or  not  he  was  the 
real  founder  of  the  valdenses  or  leonists  ,-  and  jet  it  is  remarkable  that  he 
speaks  of  the  leonists,  meiuioncd  by  Dr.  Mosheim  in  the  preceding'  page 
as  synonymous  with  Waldenses,  as  a  sect  that  liad  flourished  above  five  hun- 
dred years  ;  nay,  mentions  authors  of  note,  who  make  their  antiquity  re- 
mount to  the  apostolic  ag'e.  See  the  account  g-iven  of  Sacco's  book  by  the 
Jesuit  Gretser,  in  the  Bibliotheca  Patrum.  I  know  not  upon  what  principle 
Dr.  Mosheim  maintains,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  v.iUies  of  Fiedynont  are  to 
be  carefully  disting-uished  from  the  -d^aldtnses  ;  and  I  am  persuaded,  that 
whoever  will  be  at  the  pams  to  read  attentively  the  2d,  25th,  2fith,  and  27th, 
chapters  of  the  first  book  of  I.eger's  Histoire  Generate  des  Egltses  Vaudoises, 
will  find  this  distinction  entirely  groundless  When  the  papists  ask  us 
•where  our  religion  isias  before  Luther  ;  wc  generally  answer,  in  the  Bible  ; 
and  we  answer  well.  But  to  gratify  their  taste  for  tradition  and  human  au,- 
thoritv,  we  mav  add  to  this  answer,  and  in  the  'tallies  (f  Piedmoxt.'^ 

"  '  Mosheim,  vol.  III.  p.  118,  119. 

*  Robinson's  Researches,  p.  307. 
f  Milner's  Church  History,  vol.  III.  p.  455. 


Extracts  from  E^uermiiiis''  Letter  to  Bernard,       113 

must  be  understood  that  they  intend  a  people,  who  agreed 
in  certain  leading  principles,  however  they  might  differ  in 
some  smaller  matters,  and  that  all  of  them  were  by  the 
Catholicks  comprehended  under  the  general  name  of 
Waldenses. 

Most  of  our  information  respecting  the  character  of  the 
Waldenses  must  be  taken  from  the  accounts  of  their  ene- 
mies, and  therefore  every  favourable  bint  concerning  them 
will  be  the  more  likely  to  be  true,  I  have  not  been  able 
to  obtain  Moreland's  and  AUix's  histories  of  the  Walden- 
ses ;  I  must  therefore  avail  myself  of  the  labours  of  those 
who  have  consulted  them,  and  shall,  for  the  present,  quote 
mostly  from  the  third  volume  of  Milner's  Church  Historyj 
and  Ivimey's  History  of  the  English  Baptists.  These 
writers  appear  to  have  consulted  with  much  attention  all 
the  records  which  shed  any  light  on  the  history  of  this  an- 
cient people  of  God. 

Evervinus  of  Steinfield,  in  the  diocess  of  Cologne,  wrote 
to  Bernard,  a  little  before  the  year  1140,  a  letter  preserved 
by  Mabillon,  concerning  certain  hereticks  in  his  neighbour- 
hood. He  was  perplexed  in  his  mind  concerning  them, 
and  wrote  for  a  resolution  of  his  doubts  to  the  renowned 
abbot,  whose  word  was  a  law  at  that  time  in  Christendom. 
Some  extracts  of  this  letter  are  as  follows.  "  There  have 
been  some  hereticks  discovered  among  us  near  Cologne, 
though  several  of  them  have,  with  satisfaction,  returned 
again  to  the  church.  One  of  their  bishops  and  his  com- 
panions openly  opposed  us  in  the  assembly  of  the  clergy 
and  laity,  in  the  presence  of  the  archbishop  of  Cologne,  and 
of  many  of  the  nobility,  defending  their  heresies  by  the 
words  of  Christ  and  the  apostles.  Finding  that  they  made 
no  impression,  they  desired  that  a  day  might  be  appointed 
for  them,  in  which  they  might  bring  their  teachers  to  a 
conference,  promising  to  return  to  the  church,  provided 
they  found  their  masters  unable  to  answer  the  arguments 
of  their  opponents,  but  that  otherwise  they  would  rather 
die,  than  depart  from  their  judgment.  Upon  this  declara- 
tion, having  been  admonished  to  repent  for  three  days, 
they  were  seized  by  the  people  in  the  excess  of  zeal  and 
burnt  to  death  ;  and  what  is  very  amazing,  they  came  to  the 
stake,  and  bare  the  pain,  not  only  with  patience,  but  even 
with  joy.     Were  Lwith  you,  Father,  I  should  be  glad  to 

VOL.    I.  15 


1 14        St,  Bei-narcVs  Character  of  the  Walderisesl 

ask  you,  how  these  members  of  Satan  could  persist  in  their 
heresy  with  such  courage  and  constancy,  as  is  scarce  to 
be  found  in  the  most  rehgious  beHevers  of  Christianity. 
Their  heresy  is  this  :  they  say,  that  the  church  is  only 
among  themselves,  because  they  alone  of  all  men  follow 
the  steps  of  Christ,  and  imitate  the  apostles,  not  seeking 
secular  gains,  possessing  no  property,  following  the  pattern 
of  Christ,  who  was  himself  perfectly  poor,  and  did  not  al- 
low his  disciples  to  possess  any  thing.  Ye  (say  they  to  us) 
join  house  to  house  and  field  to  field,  seeking  the  things  of 
this  world  ;  so  that  even  those  who  are  looked  on  as 
most  perfect  among  you,  namely,  those  of  the  monastick 
orders,  though  they  have  no  private  property,  but  have  a 
community  of  possessions,  do  yet  possess  these  things.  Of 
themselves  they  say,  we,  the  poor  of  Christ,  who  have  no 
certain  abode,  fleeing  from  one  city  to  another,  like  sheep  in 
the  midst  of  wolves,  do  endure  persecution  with  the  apos- 
tles and  martyrs  ;  though  our  lives  are  strict,  abstemious, 
laborious,  devout,  and  holy,  and  though  we  seek  only 
W'hat  is  necessary  for  the  support  of  the  body,  and  live  as 
men  who  are  not  of  the  world.  They  do  not  believe  infant 
baptism  to  be  a  duty,  alleging  that  passage  of  the  gospel, 
"ivhosoever  shall  belicue^  and  be  baptized,  shall  be  saved. 
They  put  no  confidence  in  the  intercession  of  saints,  and 
all  things  observed  in  the  church,  which  have  not  been  es- 
tablished by  Christ  himself  or  his  apostles,  they  call  super- 
stitious. They  do  not  admit  of  any  purgatory  after  death  ; 
but  affirm,  that  as  soon  as  the  souls  depart  out  of  the 
bodies,  they  enter  into  rest  or  punishment,  proving  their 
assertion  from  tliat  passage  of  Solomon,  which  way  soev- 
er the  tree  falls,  whether  to  the  south  or  to  the  north,  there 
it  lies,  whence  they  make  void  all  the  prayers  and  oblations 
of  believers  for  the  deceased.  Those  of  them,  who  have 
returned  to  our  church,  told  us,  that  great  numbers  of 
their  persuasion  \^as  scattered  almost  every  where,  and  that 
among  them  were  many  of  our  clergy  and  monks." 

St.  Bernard,  the  furious  adversary  of  the  Waldenses, 
amidst  all  his  railing  accusations  against  them,  has  given 
them  a  character  much  better  than  christians  in  general 
have  given  him.  He  condemns  their  scrupulous  refusal  to 
swear  at  all,  which,  according  to  him,  was  one  of  their 
peculiarities.     He  upbraids  them  with  the  observance  ot 


Multitudes  ofWaldenses  in  the  tiuel/ih  Century.      115 

secrecy  in  their  religious  rites,  not  considering  the  necessi- 
ty which  persecution  laid  upon  them.  He  finds  fault  with 
a  practice  among  them  of  dwelling  with  women  in  the  same 
house  without  being  married  to  them  ;  though  it  must  be 
owned,  he  expresses  himself  as  one,  who  knew  veiy  little 
of  the  manners  of  the  sect.  From  the  strength  of  preju- 
dice, and  from  the  numberless  rumours  propagated  against 
them,  he  suspects  them  of  hypocrisy  ;  yet  his  testimony 
in  favour  of  their  general  conduct  seems  to  overbalance  all 
his  invectives.  "  If,  (says  he)  you  ask  them  of  their  faith, 
nothing  can  be  more  christian  ;  if  you  observe  their  con- 
versation, nothing  can  be  more  blameless;  and  what  they 
speak  they  prove  by  deeds.  You  may  see  a  man  for  the 
testimony  of  his  faith,  frequent  the  church,  honour  the 
elders,  offer  his  gift,  make  his  confession,  receive  the 
sacrament ;  what  more  like  a  christian  ?  As  to  life  and 
manners,  he  circumvents  no  man,  overreaches  no  man, 
and  does  no  violence  to  any.  He  fasts  much,  he  eats  not 
the  bread  of  idleness,  he  works  with  his  hands  for  his  sup- 
port. The  whole  body,  indeed,  are  rustick  and  illiterate  ; 
and  all  whom  I  have  known  of  this  sect  are  very  ignorant." 

Egbert,  a  monk,  and  afterwards  abbot  of  Schonauge, 
tells  us,  that  he  had  often  disputed  with  these  hereticks, 
and  says,  "  These  are  they  who  are  commonly  called 
Cathari  or  Puritans.  They  are  armed  with-  all  those  pas- 
sages of  holy  scripture,  'which  in  any  degree  seem  to  favour 
their  views ;  with  these  they  know  how  to  defend  them- 
selves, and  to  oppose  the  catholick  truth,  though  they  mis- 
take entirely  the  true  sense  of  scripture,  which  cannot  be 
discovered  without  great  judgment.  They  are  increased 
to  great  multitudes  throughout  all  countries,  their  words 
spread  like  a  cancer.  In  Germany  we  call  them  Cathari ; 
in  Flanders,  they  call  them  Piphks;  in  France,  Tisserands,* 
because  many  of  them  are  of  that  occupation." 

"It  appears,"  says  Milner,  "  that  their  numbers  were 
very  considerable  in  this  century  (the  twelfth ; )  but 
Cologne,  Flanders,  the  South  of  France,  Savoy,  and  Mi- 
lan were  their  principal  places  of  residence." 

This  people,  says  the  same  writer,  continued  in  a  state 
of  extreme  persecution  throughout  this  century.  Galdi- 
nus,  bishop  of  Milan,  who  had  inveighed  against  them 

*  That  is,  vjeavm' 


116        Unemies  to  the  PFaldenses  own  their  Worth. 

during  the  eight  or  nine  years  of  his  episcopacy,  died  in  the 
year  1173,  by  an  illness  contracted  through  the  excess  of 
his  vehemence  in  preaching  against  them. 

Reinerus,  an  apostate  and  persecutor  of  the  Waldenses 
in  the  thirteenth  century,  writes,  that  amongst  all  sects 
none  is  more  pernicious  than  that  of  the  Poor  of  LyonSy 
for  three  reasons:  1st.  Because  it  is  the  most  aucient. 
Some  aver  their  existence  from  the  days  of  Sylvester ; 
others  from  the  very  time  of  the  apostles.  2d.  Because 
if  is  so  universal ;  for  there  is  scarcely  a  country  into 
which  this  sect  has  not  crept.  3d.  Because  all  others  ren- 
der themselves  detestable  by  their  blasphemies  ;  but  this 
has  a  great  appearance  of  godliness,  they  living  a  righteous 
life  before  men,  believing  right  concerning  God,  confessing 
all  the  articles  of  the  creed,  only  hating  the  pope  of 
Home,  &c. 

The  same  inquisitor  owns  that  the  Waldenses  frequently 
read  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  in  their  preaching  cited  the 
words  of  Christ  and  his  apostles  concerning  love,  humility 
and  other  virtues ;  insomuch  that  the  women  who  heard  them 
were  enraptured  w  ith  the  sound.  He  further  says,  that  they 
taught  men  to  live  by  the  words  of  the  gospel  and  the 
apostles  ;  that  they  led  religious  lives  ;  that  their  manners 
were  seasoned  with  grace  and  their  words  prudent ;  that 
they  freely  discoursed  of  divine  things,  that  they  might 
be  esteemed  good  men.  He  observes,  likewise,  that  they 
taught  their  children  and  families  the  epistles  and  gospels. 

Jacob  de  Riberia  says,  that  he  had  seen  peasants  among 
them,  who  could  recite  the  book  of  Job  by  heart ;  and 
several  others,  wno  could  perfectly  repeat  the  whole  New- 
Testament. 

The  bishop  of  Cavaillon  once  obliged  a  preaching  monk 
to  enter  into  conference  with  them,  that  they  might  be 
convinced  of  their  errors,  and  the  effusion  of  blood  be  pre- 
vented. This  happened  during  a  great  persecution  in  1540, 
in  Merindal  and  Provence,  But  the  monk  returned  in  con- 
fusion, owning  that  he  had  never  known  in  his  whole  life 
so  much  of  the  Scriptures  as  he  had  learned  during  those 
few  days  in  which  he  had  held  conferences  with  the  herc- 
ticks.  The  bishop,  however,  sent  among  them  a  number 
of  doctors,  young  men,  who  had  lately  come  from  the 
iBorbonne,  which  was  at  that  time  the  \'ery  centre  of  theo- 


Manjiers  and  Behaiiiour  of  the  Waldemes.          1 17 

logical  subtilty  at  Paris.  One  of  them  openly  owned, 
that  he  had  understood  more  of  the  doctrine  of  salva- 
tion from  the  answers  of  the  little  children  in  their  cate- 
chism, than  by  all  the  disputations,  which  he  had  ever 
heard. 

Hereticks,  an  ancient  inquisitor  observes,  are  known  by 
their  manners  and  words  ;  for  they  are  orderly  and  modest 
in  their  manners  and  behaviour.  They  avoid  all  appear- 
ance of  pride  in  their  dress,  they  neither  wear  rich  clothes, 
nor  are  they  too  mean  and  ragged  in  their  attire.  They 
avoid  commerce,  that  they  may  be  free  from  falsehood 
and  deceit.  They  live  by  manual  industry,  as  day-labour- 
ers or  mechanicks,  and  their  preachers  are  weavers  and  tai- 
lors. They  seek  not  to  amass  wealth,  but  are  content  with 
the  necessaries  of  life.  They  are  chaste,  temperate,  and 
sober.  They  abstain  from  anger.  They  hypocritically  go 
to  the  church,  confess,  communicate,  and  hear  sermons,  to 
catch  the  preacher  in  his  words.  Their  women  are  modest, 
avoid  slander,  foolish  jesting,  and  levity  of  words,  especially 
falsehood  and  oaths. 

But  notwithstanding  the  enemies  of  these  ancient  saints 
made  so  many  reluctant  acknowledgments  of  their  worth  ; 
yet  they  looked  upon  them  as  vile  hereticks,  fit  objects  for 
ecclesiastical  vengeance,  and  the  more  pious  and  devout 
they  were,  the  more  dangerous  they  became  to  the  church 
of  Rome,  whose  abominations  they  opposed. 

The  Waldenses  rejected  the  whole  economy  of  the  priest- 
hood, and  laughed  at  the  distinctions  between  the  clergy 
and  laity ;  yet  they  had  pastors  whom  they  called  Barbs, 
which  is  a  contraction  of  Barbanus,  and  signifies  first,  an 
uncle,  and  then  it  was  used  figuratively  for  father,  guar- 
dian, tutor,  &.C. 

The  Waldenses  were  often  accused  of  worshipping  their 
pastors  or  barbs  ;  a  charge  which  they  easy  refuted. 
They  were  at  the  same  time  complained  of  for  obliging 
them  to  follow  some  trade.  Both  these  charges  put  to- 
gether prove,  that  these  people  made  gods  of  their  pastors, 
and  then  obliged  them  to  work  for  their  living.  "  We  do 
not  think  it  necessary,  (said  they)  that  our  pastors  should 
work  for  bread.  They  might  be  better  qualified  to  in- 
struct us,  if  we  could  maintain  them  without  their  own 


113  Rapin's  Account  of  the  PFaldenses, 

labour  ;    but  our  poverty  has  no  remedy."     So  they  speak 
in  letters  pubhshed  in  1508.* 

Nothing,  says  Milner,  can  exceed  the  calumnies  which 
were  ca^t  on  these  innocent  people.  Poor  men  of  Lyons, 
and  dogs,  were  the  usual  terms  of  derision.  In  Provence 
they  were  called  cut-purses  ;  in  Italy,  because  they  observ- 
ed not  the  appointed  festivals,  and  rested  from  their  ordi- 
nary occupations  only  on  Sundays,  they  were  called  insab- 
athas,  that  is,  regardless  of  sabbaths.  In  Germany,  they 
were  called  gazares,  a  term  expressive  of  every  thing  flagi- 
tiously wicked.  In  Flanders  they  were  denominated  tur- 
lupius,  that  is,  inhabitants  with  wolves,  because  they  were 
often  obliged  to  dwell  in  woods  and  deserts.  And  because 
they  denied  the  consecrated  host  to  be  God,  they  were 
accused  of  Arianism,  as  if  they  had  denied  the  divinity  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

Rapin,  in  relating  the  transactions  of  the  councils  of  Hen- 
ry II.  gives  the  following  account  of  these  people  :  "  Hen- 
ry ordered  a  council  to  meet  at  Oxford  in  1166,  to  exam- 
ine the  tenets  of  certain  hereticks,  called  Publicani.  Very 
probably  they  w  ere  disci{)les  of  the  Waldenses,  who  began 
then  to  appear.  When  they  were  asked  in  council,  who 
they  were  ?  they  answered  they  were  christians,  and  follow- 
ers of  the  apostles.  After  that,  being  questioned  upon  the 
creed,  tlieir  replies  were  very  orthodox  as  to  the  trinity 
and  incarnation.  But  (adds  Rapin)  they  rejected  baptism, 
the  eucharist,  marriage,  and  the  communion  of  saints. 
They  shewed  a  great  deal  of  modesty  and  meekness  in  their 
whole  behaviour.  When  they  were  threatened  wdth  death,  x 
in  order  to  oblige  them  to  renounce  their  tenets,  they  only 
said.  Blessed  are  they  that  suffer  for  righteousness''  sake.''^ 

Theie  is  no  difficulty,  Mr.  Ivimey  judiciously  observes, 
in  understanding  what  w-ere  their  sentiments  on  these  her- 
etical points.  When  a  monk  says,  they  rejected  the  euch- 
arist, it  is  to  be  understood  that  they  rejected  the  absurd 
doctrine  of  transubstantiation  ;  when  he  says,  that  they  re- 
jected marriage,  he  means,  that  they  denied  it  to  be  a  sa- 
crament, and  maintained  it  to  be  a  civil  institution  ;  when 
he  says,  that  they  rejected  the  communion  of  saints,  noth- 
ing more  is  to  be  undei  stood,  than  that  they  refused  to  hold 
communion  with  the  corrupt  church  of  Rome  ;  and  when 

•  Milner,  vol.  iii,  p.  428. 


Ra'ifietis^  Commendation  of  the  Waldenses,         1 19 

he  says,  that  they  rejected  baptism,  what  are  we  to  under- 
stand but  that  they  rejected  the  baptism  of  infants?  These 
were  the  errors  for  which  they  were  branded  with  a  hot 
iron  in  their  foreheads,  by  those  who  had  "  the  mark  of 
the  beast,  both  in  their  foreheads  and  in  their  hands."* 

We  can  give  but  a  very  brief  account  of  the  persecutions 
which  the  Waldenses  suffered  and  of  the  success  which 
attended  their  exertions.  They  underwent  the  most  dread- 
ful persecutions  ;  and  every  means  which  malice  and  cru- 
elty could  invent,  was  used  to  exterminate  them  and  their 
principles  from  the  earth.  The  crusade  against  them  con- 
sisted of  five  hundred  thousand  men.  More  than  three 
hundred  gendemcn's  seats  v;ere  razed,  and  many  walled 
towns  destroyed. t 

The  subjects  of  Raymond,  earl  of  Toulouse,  and  of 
some  other  great  personages  in  his  neighbourhood,  so  gen- 
erally professed  the  Waldensian  doctrines,  that  they  be- 
came the  peculiar  objects  of  papal  vengeance.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  Toulouse,  Carcassone,  Beziers,  Narbonne,  Avig- 
non, and  many  other  cities,  who  were  commonly  called  the 
Albigenses,  were  exposed  to  a  persecution  as  cruel  and 
atrocious  as  any  recorded  in  history.  Rainerus  indeed 
owns,  that  the  Waldenses  were  the  most  formidable  ene- 
mies of  the  church  of  Rome,  "  because,"  saith  he,  "  they 
have  a  great  appearance  of  godliness  ;  because  they  live 
righteously  before  men,  believe  righdy  of  God  in  all  things, 
and  hold  all  the  articles  of  the  creed  ;  yet  they  hate  and 
revile  the  church  of  Rome  ;  and  in  their  accusations  they 
are  easily  believed  by  the  people." 

It  was  reserved  to  Innocent  III.  than  whom  no  pope 
ever  possessed  more  ambition,  to  institute  the  inquisi- 
tion, and  the  Waldenses  were  the  first  objects  of  its  cruelty. 
He  authorised  certain  monks  to  frame  the  process  of 
that  court,  and  to  deliver  the  supposed  hereticks  to 
the  secular  power.  The  beginning  of  the  thirteenth  cen- 
tury saw  thousands  of  persons  burned  or  hanged  by  these 
diabolical  devices,  whose  sole  crime  was,  that  they  trusted 
only  in  Jesus  Christ  for  salvation,  and  renounced  all  the 
vain  hopes  of  self-righteous  idolatry  and  superstition. 

About  the  year  1400,  the  persecutors  attacked  the 
Waldenses  of  the  valley   of  Pragela.     The  poor  people 

*  Ivimev,  p.  56—7.  f  ^^^^>  P-  ^^- 


120      Pr'wces  of  Piedmont  protect  the  Waldehses, 

seeing  their  caves  possessed  by  their  enemies,  who  assault- 
ed them  during-  the  severity  of  the  winter,  retreated  to  one 
of  the  highest  mountains  of  the  Alps,  the  mothers  carrying 
cradles,  and  leading  by  the  hand  those  little  children,  who 
were  able  to  walk.  Many  of  tliem  were  murdered,  others 
were  star\'cd  to  death,  a  hundred  and  eighty  children  were 
found  dead  in  their  cradles j  and  the  greatest  part  of  their 
mothers  died  soon  after  them.  In  the  valley  of  Loyse, 
four  hundred  little  children  were  found  suffocated  in  their 
cradles,  or  in  the  arms  of  their  deceased  mothers,  in  con- 
sequence of  a  great  quantity  of  wood  being  placed  at  the 
entrance  of  the  caves  and  set  on  fire.  On  the  whole, 
above  three  thousand  persons  belonging  to  the  valley  were 
destroyed,  and  this  righteous  people  were  in  that  place 
exterminated.  The  Waldenses  of  Pragela  and  Fraissi- 
niere,  alarmed  by  these  sanguinary  proceedings,  made 
provision  for  their  own  safety,  and  expected  the  enemy  at 
the  passage  and  narrow  straits  of  their  vallies,  and  were  in 
fact  so  well  prepared  to  receive  them,  that  the  invaders 
were  obliged  to  retreat.  Some  attempts  were  made  after- 
wards by  the  Waldenses  of  Fraissiuiere  to  regain  their 
property,  which  had  been  unjustly  seized  by  their  persecu- 
tors. The  favour  of  Lewis  XII.  of  France  was  exerted 
towards  them  ;  yet  they  could  never  obtain  any  remedy. 
The  princes  of  Piedn\ont,  who  were  the  dukes  of  Savoy, 
were  very  unwilling  to  disturb  their  subjects,  of  whose 
loyalty,  peaceableness,  industry,  and  probity  they  received 
such  uniform  testimony.  A  fact,  which  seemed  pecu- 
liarly to  demonstrate  their  general  innocence,  must  be  no- 
ticed. Their  neighbours  jiarticularly  prized  a  Piedmont- 
ese  servant,  and  preferred  the  women  of  the  vallies  above 
all  others,  to  nurse  their  children.  Calumny,  however, 
prevailed  at  length,  and  such  a  number  of  accusations 
against  them  appeared,  charging  them  with  crimes  of  the 
most  monstrous  nature,  that  the  civil  power  permitted  the 
papal  to  indulge  ils  thirst  for  blood.  Dreadful  cruelties 
were  inflicted  on  the  people  of  God  ;  and  these,  by  their 
constancy,  revived  the  memory  of  the  primitive  martyrs. 
Among  them  Catelin  Girard  was  distinguished,  who,  stand- 
ing on  the  block,  on  which  he  was  to  be  burned  at  Revel,  in 
the  marquisate  of  Saluces,  requested  his  executioners  to 
give  him  two  stones  ;  which  request  being  with  difficulty 


Waldenses  called  Puhlicani.  121 

obtained,  the  martyr  holding  them  in  his  hands,  said, 
**  when  I  have  eaten  these  stones,  then  you  shall  see  an 
end  of  that  rehgion  for  which  ye  put  me  to  death,"  and 
then  he  cast  the  stones  on  the  ground. 

But  our  limits  forbid  our  pursuing  any  farther  an  ac- 
count of  the  sufferings  of  these  people.  It  is  sufficient  to 
observe,  that  their  enemies  were  far  from  accomplish- 
ing their  designs.  Archbishop  Asher  observes,  that  as 
the  persecution  about  Stephen  proved  for  the  furtherance 
of  the  gospel  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  so  was  it  here. 
Insomuch  that  ^neas  Sylvius,  afterwards  pope  Pius  II. 
confessed,  that  neither  the  decrees  of  popes,  nor  armies  of 
christians  could  extirpate  the  Waldensian  sect. 

Various  accounts  mention  their  dispersion  abroad,  and 
the  papists  complain  much  of  their  infesting  most  parts 
of  their  dominions  and  disturbing  the  peace  of  the  church. 

We  learn  from  Fox,  on  the  authority  of  Robert  Guis- 
borne,  that  in  the  time  of  Henry  II.  about  the  year  1158, 
two  eminent  Waldensian  preachers  or  barbs,  Gerhardus 
and  Dulcinus,  came  into  England  to  propagate  the  gos- 
pel ;  and  archbishop  Usher,  from  Thomas  Walden,  says, 
that  "several  Waldenses,  that  came  out  of  France,  were 
apprehended,  and  by  the  king's  command  were  marked 
in  the  forehead  with  a  key  or  hot  iron."  "Which  sect 
(says  William  of  Newbury,  in  his  history  of  England) 
were  called  the  Publicani,  whose  original  was  from  Gas- 
coyne  ,  and  who,  being  as  numerous  as  the  sand  of  the 
sea,  did  sorely  infest  both  France,  Italy,  Spain,  and  Eng- 
land." 

Archbishop  Usher  informs  us  on  the  authority  of  Mat- 
thew Paris  of  Westminster,  that  "  the  Berengarian  or 
Waldensian  heresy  had,  about  the  year  1180,  generally 
infected  all  France,  Italy,  and  England."  Guitmond,  a 
popish  writer  of  that  time,  also  says,  that  "  not  only  the 
weaker  sort  in  the  country  villages,  but  the  nobility  and 
gentry  in  the  chief  towns  and  cities,  were  infected  there- 
with ;  and  therefore  Lanfranc,  archbishop  of  Canterbury', 
who  held  this  see  both  in  the  reigns  of  William  the  Con- 
queror and  of  his  son  William  Rufus,  wrote  against  them 
in  the  year  1087."  The  archbishop  adds  from  Poplinus' 
history  of  France,  that  "  the  Waldenses  of  Aquitain  did, 
about  the  year  1100,  during  the  reigns  of  Henry  I,  and 

VOL.    I.  16 


122  Number  ofWaldemcs  in  14/A  Century. 

Stephen,  kings  of  England,  spread  themselves  and  their 
doctrines  all  over  Europe,"  and  mentions  England  in  par- 
ticular.* 

From  the  recesses  of  the  Alps  and  Pyrenees  and  the 
adjoining  vallies,  these  people  were  driven  out  by  heretick 
hunters,  and  were  obliged  to  seek  refuge  in  other  countries. 
Wherever  they  went,  light  increased  and  persecution  rag- 
ed. The  word  of  God,  says  Milner,  grew  and  multiplied, 
in  the  places  were  Waldo  planted  churches,  and  even  in 
still  more  distant  regions.  In  Alsace  and  along  the  Rhine, 
the  gospel  was  preached  with  a  powerful  effusion  of  the 
Holy  Spirit ;  persecutions  ensued,  and  thirty-five  citizens 
of  Mentz  were  burned  at  one  fire  in  the  city  of  Bingen, 
and  at  Mentz  eighteen.  The  bishop  of  Mentz  was  very- 
active  in  these  persecutions,  and  the  bishop  of  Strasburg  was 
not  inferior  to  him  in  vindictive  zeal  ;  for,  through  his 
means,  eighty  persons  were  burned  at  Strasburg.  Every 
thing  relating  to  the  Waldenses  resembled  the  scenes  of  thJe 
primitive  church.  Numbers  died  praising  God,  and  in  con- 
fident assurance  of  a  blessed  resurrection  ;  whence  the  blood 
of  the  martyrs  again  became  the  seed  of  the  church  ;  and  in 
Bulgaria,  Croatia,  Dalmatia,  and  Hungary,  churches  were 
planted,  which  flourished  in  the  thirteenth  century,  governed 
by  Bartholomew,  a  native  of  Carcassone,  a  city  not  far  distant 
from  Toulouse,  which  might  be  called  in  those  days  the 
metropolis  of  the  Waldenses,  on  account  of  the  numbers 
who  there  professed  evangelical  truth.  In  Bohemia  in 
the  country  of  Passaw,  the  churches  were  reckoned  to 
have  contained  eighty  thousand  professors  in  the  former 
part  of  the  fourteenth  century.  Almost  throughout  Eu- 
rope W^aldenses  were  to  be  found  ;  and  yet  they  were 
treated  as  the  offscouring  of  the  earth,  and  as  people 
against  whom  all  the  power  and  wisdom  of  the  world  were 
united.  But  "  the  witnesses  continued  to  prophesy  in 
sackcloth,"  and  souls  were  built  up  in  the  faith,  the  hope, 
and  the  charity  of  the  gospel. 

*'  From  the  borders  of  Spain,  (says  the  same  writer) 
throughout  the  south  of  France,  for  the  most  part  among 
and  below  the  Alps,  along  the  Rhine,  on  both  sides  of 
its  course,  and  even  to  Bohemia,  thousands  of  godly  souls 
were  seen  patiently  to  bear  persecution  for  the  sake  of 

*  Ivimey,  p.  55,  56. 


Waldenses  oppose  Infant  Baptism.  123 

Christ,  against  whom  malice  could  say  no  evil,  but  what 
admits  the  most  satisfactory  refutation  ;  men  distinguished 
for  every  virtue,  and  only  hated  because  of  godliness  itself. 
Persecutors  with  a  sigh  owned,  that,  because  of  their  vir- 
tue, they  were  the  most  dangerous  enemies  of  the  church." 

One  quotation  more  from  Mr.  Milner,  shall  close  this 
part  of  the  narration.  From  the  year  1206,  when  the  in- 
quisition was  first  established,  to  the  year  1228,  the  havock 
made  among  helpless  christians  was  so  great,  that  certain 
French  bishops,  in  the  last  mentioned  year,  desired  the 
monks  of  the  inquisition  to  defer  a  little  their  work  of 
imprisonment,  till  the  pope  was  advertised  of  the  great 
numbers  apprehended  ;  numbers  so  great,  that  it  was 
impossible  to  defray  the  charge  of  their  subsistence,  and 
even  to  provide  stone  and  mortar  to  build  prisons  for 
them.  Yet  so  true  is  it  that  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  is 
the  seed  of  the  church,  that  in  the  year  1530,  there  were 
in  Europe  above  eight  hundred  thousand  who  professed 
the   religion  of  the  Waldenses. 

It  is  proper  that  we  should  now  take  notice  of  some  of 
the  evidences  on  which  we  ground  our  opinion,  that  ma- 
ny, if  not  most  of  the  Waldenses,  were  Baptists.  We 
have  already  seen  that  one  of  the  grievous  sins,  which 
their  enemies  laid  to  their  charge,  was  denying  infant  bap- 
tism. We  shall  exhibit  in  one  view,  the  substance  of  what 
can  be  gathered  from  different  historians  on  this  subject. 

Chessanion,  in  his  history  of  the  Albigenses,  has  given 
the  following  very  candid  account  of  this  matter.  "  Some 
writers  (he  says)  affirm,  that  the  Albigenses  approved  not 
the  baptism  of  infants  ;  others,  that  they  entirely  slighted 
this  holy  sacrament,  as  if  it  were  of  no  use  eitlier  to  great 
or  small.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Waldenses, 
though  some  affirm  that  they  have  always  baptized  their 
children.  This  difference  of  authors  kept  me  sometime 
in  suspense  before  I  could  come  to  be  resolved  on  which 
side  the  truth  lay.  At  last  considering  what  St.  Bernard 
saith  of  this  matter  in  his  sixty-sixth  homily,  on  the  2d  chap- 
ter of  the  Song  of  Songs,  and  the  reasons  he  brings  to  refute 
this  error  and  also  what  he  wrote  ad  Hildefonsum  Comitem 
sancti  j^gidii,  I  cannot  deny  but  the  Albigenses,  for  the 
greatest  part,  were  of  this  opinion.  And  that  which  con- 
firms me  yet  more  in  this  belief  is,  that  in  the  history  of  the 
city  of  Treves,  there  were  some,  who  denied  that  the  sa- 


124  Different  Testimonies  that  the 

crament  of  baptism  was  available  to  the  salvation  of  infants  ; 
and  one  Catherine  Saube,  who  was  burnt  at  Montpelier, 
in  the  year  1417,  for  being  of  the  mind  of  the  Albigenses 
in  not  believing  the  traditions  of  the  Romish  church,  was 
of  the  same  mind  respecting  infant  baptism  ;  as  it  is  re- 
corded in  the  register  of  the  town-house  of  the  said  city 
of  Montpelier.  The  truth  is,  (continues  Chessanion)  they 
did  not  reject  the  sacrament  and  say  it  was  useless,  but 
only  counted  it  unnecessary  to  infants,  because  they 
are  not  of  age  to  believe,  nor  capable  of  giving  evidence 
of  their  faith.  That  which  induced  them,  as  I  suppose, 
to  entertain  this  opinion  is,  what  our  Lord  says,  He 
that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved;  but  he  that 
belieiieth  not  shall  be  damned.'*'' 

This  statement  is  in  part  at  least  corroborated  by  Dr. 
Wall  in  his  History  of  Infant  Baptism  ;  and  as  he  was 
desirous  of  establishing  the  contrary  opinion,  his  conces- 
sions in  our  favour  are  certainly  of  weight.  Speaking  of 
the  Petrobrussians,  whom  he  calls  a  sect  of  the  Walden- 
ses,  he  says,  "  withdrawing  themselves  about  the  year 
1100,  from  the  communion  of  the  church  of  Rome,  which 
was  then  very  corrupt,  they  did  reckon  infant  baptism  as 
one  of  the  corruptions,  and  accordingly  renounced  it, 
and  practised  only  adult  baptism."  Part  II.  Chap.  vii. 
Section  5,  6,  7. 

Mosheim,  in  his  Ecclesiastical  History,  speaking  of 
Peter  de  Bruis,  who  was  a  celebrated  itinerant  preacher, 
and  who  was  burnt  to  death  by  an  enraged  populace  at 
St.  Giles,  in  the  year  1130,  says,  "  It  is  certain  that  one 
of  his  tenets  was,  that  no  persons  ivhate^ver  were  to  be 
baptized  before  they  were  come  to  the  full  use  of  reasonJ*"* 

The  testimony  of  Mr.  Brandt,  respecting  the  antiquity  of 
these  churches  and  of  their  sentiments  respecting  baptism  is 
of  importance  to  our  argument.  He  says,  that  "  the  errors 
and  crafty  inventions  of  popery  had  never  been  able  to  find 
a  passage  to  these  people  ;  since  being  shut  up  in  their 
vallies,  separate  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  conversing 
chiefly  among  themselves,  they  had  retained  a  great  deal 
of  the  simplicity  and  purity  of  the  Apostolic  Doctrine  :  That 
this  antiquity  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Waldenses,  is  acknowl- 
edged even  by  their  greatest  enemies. — Some  of  them  like- 
wise rejected  hifant  baptism." 


U^aldenses  opposed  Infant  JBaptism.  125 

To  corroborate  this  last  clause  many  things  are  produced 
by  Dr.  Allix  in  his  remarks  on  the  ancient  churches  of 
Piedmont.  "  The  followers  of  Gundulphus  in  Italy  were 
many  of  them  examined  by  Gerhard  bishop  of  Cambray 
and  Arras  upon  several  heads  in  the  year  1025.  It  seems 
as  if  these  people  were  surfeited  with  the  vicious  and  de- 
bauched lives  of  the  Romish  clergy,  and  did  rather  choose 
to  go  without  any  baptism,  rather  than  have  it  administered 
by  such  lewd  hands,  or  that  they  had  agreed  to  have  it 
performed  privately  in  their  own  way.  Let  things  have 
been  as  it  would,  it  is  plain  they  were  utterly  against  infant 
baptism." 

In  a  little  time  after  this,  lived  the  noted  Arnold  of  Bres- 
cia, a  follower  of  JBerengarius,  who  eminently  opposed  the 
Romish  corruptions.  And  amongst  some  notions  imput- 
ed to  him,  it  is  observed,  "  there  was  yet  a  more  heinous 
thing  laid  to  his  charge,  which  was  this  ;  that  he  was  un- 
sound in  his  judgment  about  the  sacrament  of  the  altar  and 
infant  baptism."  This  excellent  man  was  condemned, 
hanged,  and  his  body  burnt  at  Rome,  and  the  ashes  cast 
into  the  Tiber.  But  there  is  a  letter  of  Everinus  to  St. 
Bernard,  a  little  before  the  year  1146,  wherein  he  speaks 
clearly  of  a  sect  which  approved  of  adult  baptism  upon  be- 
liemng  and  strenuously  opposed  infant  baptism.  The  words 
of  the  letter  are,  "  They  make  void  the  priesthood  of  the 
church  and  condemn  the  sacraments  besides  baptism  only, 
and  this  only  in  those  who  were  come  to  age^  who,  they 
say,  are  baptized  by  Christ  himself,  whosoever  be  the 
ministers  of  the  sacraments.  They  do  not  believe  infant 
baptism^  alleging  that  place  of  the  gospel,  whosoe'uer  shall 
belie'ue  and  be  baptized,  shall  be  saved.'''' 

The  same  learned  gentleman  gives  us  an  extract  taken 
by  Claudius  Caissord  in  the  year  1548,  out  of  an  old  man- 
uscript of  Rainerus  a  friar,  wrote  by  him  296  years  before, 
against  the  Waldenses,  wherein  he  has  these  words, 
*'  They  say,  that  when  first  a  man  is  baptized,  then  he  is 
received  into  this  sect.  Some  of  them  hold,  that  baptism 
is  of  no  advantage  to  infants,  because  they  cannot  actually 
believe."* 

Dr.  Wall  allows,  that  the  Lateran  council  under  Inno- 
cent II.    1139,  condemned  Peter  Bruis  and  Arnold  of 

*  Ivimey,  pp.  60, 61,  62,  63,  64. 


126  The  Waldemian  preaching  Pedlar. 

Brescia,  who  seems  to  have  been  a  follower  of  Bruis,  for 
rejectmg  infant  Baptism.* 

Bishop  Bossuet,  a  Catholick,  complaining  of  Calvin^s 
party,  for  claiming  apostolical  succession  through  the 
\Valdenses,  observes,  "  You  adopt  Henry  and  Peter 
Bruis  among  your  predecessors,  but  both  of  these,  every 
body  knows,  were  Anabaptists." 

*'  The  Waldenses,"  says  Francowitz,  "  scent  a  little 
of  Anabaptism  ;  but  they  were  nothing  like  the  Anabap- 
tists of  our  tinies."  "  Yes,"  replies  Limborch,  "  to  say 
honestly  what  I  think,  of  all  the  modern  sects  of  christians, 
the  Dutch  Baptists  most  resemble  both  the  Albigenses 
and  the  Waldenses,  but  particularly  the  latter. "f 

The  following  passage  from  Robinson,  though  some- 
what lengthy,  I  u  ill  take  the  liberty  to  transcribe,  as  it 
must  be  gratifying  to  the  reader,  to  hear  what  an  account 
a  sulky  enemy  could  give  of  one  of  these  ancient  chris- 
tians :  Keinerus  thus  describes  the  manner  in  which  the 
Waldenses  insinuated  their  principles  into  the  gentry  : 
*'  Sir,  will  you  please  to  buy  any  rings,  or  seals,  or  trink- 
ets ?  Madam,  Mill  you  look  at  any  handkerchiefs,  or  pieces 
of  needle- work  for  veils  ?  I  can  afford  them  cheap."  If, 
after  a  purchase,  the  company  ask,  *'  Have  you  any  thing 
more  ?"  The  sale's-man  would  reply,  "  O  yes,  I  have 
commodities  far  more  valuable  than  these,  and  I  will  make 
you  a  present  of  them,  if  you  will  protect  me  from  the 
clergy."  Security  being  promised,  on  he  would  go  : 
"The  inestimable  jewel  I  spoke  of  is  the  word  of  God, 
by  which  he  communicates  his  mind  to  men,  and  which 
inflames  their  hearts  with  love  to  him.  In  the  sixth  month 
the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent  from  God  into  a  city  of  Gali- 
lee named  Nazareth  ;"  and  so  he  would  proceed  to  re- 
peat the  remaining  part  of  the  first  chapter  of  Luke,  Or 
he  would  begin  with  the  thirteenth  of  John,  and  repeat  the 
last  discourse  of  Jesus  to  his  disciples.  If  the  company 
should  seem  pleased,  he  would  proceed  to  repeat  the 
twenty-third  of  Matthew,  "  The  scribes  and  Pharisees 
sit  in  Moses'  seat.. ..Wo  unto  you,  ye  shut  up  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  against  mt^n  ;  for  ye  neither  go  in  your- 
selves, neither  suffer  ye  them  that  are  entering  to  go  in.... 
Wo  unto  you,  ye  devour  widows' houses"...."  And  pray," 

•  Ivimey,  p.  25.  -j-  Robinson's  Researches,  p.  476.    Ibid,  p.  3ll. 


ne  Waldenses  Baptists.  127 

should  one  of  the  company  say,  "  against  whom  are  these 
woes  denounced  think  you  ?"  he  would  reply,  "  Against 
the  clergy  and  the  monks.  The  doctors  of  the  Roman 
church  are  pompous  both  in  their  habits  and  their  man- 
ners, they  love  the  uppermost  rooms,  and  the  chief  seats 
in  the  synagogues,  and  to  be  called  Rabbi,  Rabbi.  For 
our  parts,  we  desire  no  such  Rabbies.  They  are  inconti- 
nent ;  we  live  each  in  chastity  \\\l\\  his  own  wife.  They 
are  the  rich  and  avaricious,  of  whom  the  Lord  says,  *'  Wo 
unto  you  rich,  for  ye  have  received  your  consolation  ;" 
but  we  "  having  food  and  raiment  are  therewith  content." 
They  are  voluptuous  and  devour  widows'  houses  ;  we  only 
eat  to  be  refreshed  and  supported.  They  fight  and  en- 
courage war,  and  command  the  poor  to  be  killed  and 
burnt,  in  defiance  of  the  saying,  "  he  that  taketh  the 
sword  shall  perish  by  the  sword."  For  our  parts,  they 
persecute  us  for  righteousness'  sake.  They  do  nothing, 
they  eat  the  bread  of  idleness  ;  we  work  with  our  hands. 
They  monopolize  the  giving  of  instruction,  and  "  wo  be 
to  them  that  take  away  the  key  of  knowledge  ;"  but 
among  us  women  teach  as  well  as  men,  and  one  disciple 
as  soon  as  he  is  informed  himself  teaches  another.  Among 
them  you  can  hardly  find  a  doctor,  who  can  repeat  three 
chapters  of  the  New- Testament  by  hearc  ;  but  of  us  there 
is  hardly  man  or  woman,  who  doth  not  retain  the  whole. 
And  because  we  are  sincere  believers  in  Christ,  and  all 
teach  and  enforce  a  holy  Ufe  and  conversation,  these  scribes 
and  Pharisees  persecute  us  to  death,  as  their  predecessors 
did  Jesus  Christ."  Father  Gretzer,  the  first  editor  of  the 
complete  book  of  Reinerus,  has  put  in  the  margin  against 
the  above,  these  words:  "This  is  a  true  picture  of  the 
.hereticks  of  our  age,  particularly  Anabaptists."  Happy 
for  the  Anabaptists,  indeed,  (says  Robinson)  if  they  can 
affirm  all  that  with  truth  of  themselves,  which  the  old 
Waldensian  preaching  pedlar  affirmed  of  himself  and  his 
company." 

To  recapitulate  the  sum  of  the  preceding  extracts,  we 
find  that  the  Waldenses,  by  whatever  name  they  were 
called,  were  constantly,  for  the  space  of  many  centuries, 
charged  with  the  heinous  crime  of  denying  infant-baptism, 
and  that  the  reasons  which  they  gave  for  so  doing,  as  tak- 
en from  the  mouths  of  their  enemies,  were  many  of  them 


128  The  Antiquity  of  the  Anabaptists, 

verbatim,  and  all  of  them  in  substance,  just  such  as  the 
Baptists  now  give.  Have  not  then  the  Baptists  good 
reasons  for  believing  that  the  Waldenses  were  generally 
of  their  sentiments  ? 

I  admire  the  piety  of  Mr.  Milner,  and  every  evangelical 
christian  has  reason  to  respect  his  memory  ;  and  to  his  la- 
borious researches,  I  am  indebted  for  many  of  the  preced- 
ing sketches  respecting  these  ancient  witnesses  for  the 
truth  ;  but  in  his  account  of  their  baptism,  his  prepos- 
sessions in  favour  of  the  rites  of  his  own  church,  lead  him 
to  state  the  matter  in  a  manner  peculiarly  vague  and  unfair. 
He  seems  much  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  support  his  own 
theory,  and  satisfy  his  own  mind.  But  he  at  length  con- 
cludes, "  1  cannot  find  any  satisfactory  proofs  that  the 
Waldenses  were,  in  judgment,  Antipedobaptists  strictly  !" 
But  soon  after,  as  if  dissatisfied  with  this  statement,  he 
observes,  "  1  lay  no  great  stress  on  the  subject,  for  the 
Waldenses  might  have  been  a  faithful,  humble,  and  spir- 
itual people,  as  I  believe  they  were,  if  they  had  differed 
from  the  general  body  of  christians  on  this  article ^^  Thus 
he  at  last  reluctantly  gives  up  the  matter  in  favour  of  the 
Baptists. 

But  Dr.  Mosheim,  notwithstanding  all  the  hard  names 
which  he  has  bestowed  on  the  Baptists,  has,  in  the  fol- 
lowing passages,  put  this  matter  beyond  all  doubt  or  dis- 
putation. "  Tlie  true  origin,"  says  he,  "  of  that  sect 
which  acquired  the  denomination  of  the  Anabaptists^  by 
iheir  administering  anew  the  rite  of  baptism  to  those  who 
came  over  to  their  communion,  and  derived  the  name  of 
Mennonists  from  the  famous  man,  to  whom  they  owe  the 
greatest  part  of  their  present  felicity,  is  hid  in  the  remote 
depths  of  antiquity,  and  is,  of  consequence,  difficult  to  be 
ascertained,  "t 

This  we  look  upon  as  a  most  important  concession  by 
one  of  our  most  powerful  adversaries.  This  account  ut- 
terly refutes  the  long  repeated,  slanderous  story,  that  the 
Baptists  originated  with  the  madmen  of  Munster  in  1522. 
"  This  uncertainty,"  continues  the  doctor,  "  will  not  ap- 
pear surprising,  when  it  is  considered,  that  this  sect  start- 
ed up,  all  of  a  sudden,  in  several  countries,  at  the  same 
point  of  time,  under  leaders  of  different  talents  and  differ- 

*  Ch.  Hist.  vol.  iii,  pp.  426—7,  -j-  Mosheim  vol.  ir.  p.  424 


Anabaptists  existed  hcjore  Luther  and  Cahin.       129 

erent  intentions,  and  at  the  very  period  when  the  first  con- 
tests of  the  reformers  with  the  Roman  pontiffs  drew  the 
attention  of  the  world,  and  employed  the  pens  of  the  learn- 
ed, in  such  a  manner,  as  to  render  all  other  objects  and 
incidents  almost  matters  of  indifference.  The  modern 
Mennonites  not  only  consider  themselves  as  the  descendants 
of  the  Waldenses,  who  were  so  grievously  oppressed  and 
persecuted  by  the  despotic  heads  of  the  Roman  church, 
but  pretend,  moreover,  to  be  the  purest  offspring  of  these 
respectable  sufferers,  being  equally  averse  to  all  principles 
of  rebellion,  on  the  one  hand,  and  all  suggestions  of  fanat- 
icism on  the  other." 

In  the  above  quotation  it  is  acknowledged  that  the  ori- 
gin of  the  Baptists  is  hid  in  the  remote  depths  of  antiquity  ; 
in  the  following  passage  the  same  subject  is  amplified  and 
more  fully  explained.  "  It  may  be  observed  that  the 
Mennonites  (that  is,  the  Baptists  of  Germany)  are  not  entire- 
ly mistaken,  when  they  boast  of  their  descent  from  the 
Waldenses,  Petrobrussians  and  other  ancient  sects,  who 
are  usually  considered  as  witnesses  of  the  truth,  in  the 
times  of  universal  darkness  and  superstition.  Before  the 
rise  of  Luther  and  Calvin,  there  lay  concealed  in  almost 
all  the  countries  of  Europe,  particularly  in  Bohemia,  Mo- 
ravia, Switzerland,  and  Germany,  many  persons,  who  ad- 
hered tenaciously  to  the  following  doctrine,  wliich  the 
Waldenses,  Wickliffites,  and  Hussites  had  maintained, 
some  in  a  more  disguised,  and  others  in  a  more  open  and 
public  manner,  viz.  That  the  kingdom  of  Christ  or  the 
'Disible  church  he  had  established  upon  earth,  was  an  assem- 
bly of  true  and  real  saints,  and  ought  therefore  to  be  inacces- 
sible to  the  wicked  and  unrighteous,  and  also  exempt  from 
all  those  institutions,  which  human  prudence  suggests,  to 
oppose  the  progress  of  iniquity,  or  to  correct  and  reform 
transgressors.  This  maxim  is  the  true  source  of  all  the 
peculiarities  that  are  to  be  found  in  the  religious  doctrine 
and  discipline  of  the  Mennonites  ;  and  it  is  most  certain 
that  the  greatest  part  of  these  peculiarities  were  approved 
of  by  many  of  those,  who,  before  the  dawn  of  the  reforma- 
tion, entertained  the  notion  already  mentioned,  relating  to 
the  visible  church  of  Christ."^ 

17 

•  Mosh^im  Vol.  IV.  p.  424-429, 


130         The  Peculiar  Maxims  of  the  Anabaptists, 

This  grand  7naxijn,  which  is  thus  acknowledged  to  be 
the  true  source  of  all  the  peculiarities  of  the  Menuonites, 
and  of  all  the  ancient  Waldenses,  is  most  fairly  stated,  and 
when  stripped  of  the  verbose  attire,  with  which  the  learn- 
ed doctor  has  arrayed  it,  is,  by  every  Baptist,  most  hearti- 
ly adopted.  This  maxim  goes  to  exclude  all  the  inven- 
tions and  traditions  of  men,  and  infant  baptism  among  the 
rest.  With  this  maxim  in  his  heart,  and  his  Bible  in  his 
hand,  a  Baptist  marches  forward  in  his  religious  course, 
and  leaves  the  world  and  worldly  christians,  to  dispute 
among  themselves  about  the  traditions  of  the  fathers,  and 
rites,  whicji  God  has  never  commanded. 

But  strange  to  tell,  this  maxim  the  great  Mosheim  calls 
a  fanatical  principle,  productive  of  errors,  chimeras,  tumults, 
seditions,  &c.  Well  might  Robinson  say,  that  a  Baptist  day- 
labourer  understands  liberty  better  than  this  learned  histo- 
rian and  divine.  It  seems  evident  enough  from  the  tenor 
of  Mosheim's  writings,  that  he  could  not  comprehend 
how  a  man  could  be  a  good  citizen,  and  yet  hold,  that 
magistrates,  as  such,  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  kingdom 
of  Christ.  It  is  this  grand  maxim  with  its  appendages, 
and  not  rebaptizing,  that  hath  occasioned  most  of  the  per- 
secutions, v\  hich  our  brethren  have  endured  in  ancient  or 
modern  times, 

A  few  general  observations  shall  close  this  chapter, 
which  has  already  been  extended  to  a  greater  length  than 
"was  at  first  intended. 

The  Waldenses,  like  the  scriptures,  have  been  resorted 
to  by  all  parties  of  protestants  in  defence  of  their  pecu- 
liar sentiments.  The  papists  accused  the  protestants  of 
being  a  new  sect,  whose  principles  had  no  existence  till 
the  days  of  Luther.  This  charge  they  all  denied,  and 
each  party  went  to  rumaging  to  find  predecessors,  and 
trace  a  line  of  succession  down  to  the  apostles.  The  cor- 
ruptions of  popery  stood  as  a  mountain  in  the  way,  and 
there  was  no  altcrnati\'e  but  to  find  a  by-path  through  the 
land  of  the  Waldenses.  This  circumstance  induced  ma- 
ny learned  men  of  different  communities,  to  investigate 
the  history  of  tliis  people  with  more  care  and  attention, 
than  it  is  any  ways  likely  they  would  otherwise  have  done. 
They  doubtless  had  no  thought  of  helping  the  cause  of 
the  Baptists,    who  were,  at  the  time  of  these  altercations, 


All  Parties  trace  Succession  through  the  Waldenses,     131 

universally  despised  and  trodden  under  foot.  But  it  has 
so  happened,  that  these  researches  have  furnished  us  with 
important  evidence,  which  u^as  not  intended  for  our  use  ; 
and  it  now  appears  plain,  that  of  all  parties  the  Baptists 
have  the  best  claim  to  the  ancient  Waldenses  as  their 
predecessors. 

But  the  same  researches  which  have  assisted  the  Bap- 
tists in  their  inquiries  into  the  character  of  the  VValdcMses, 
have  caused  them  much  perplexity  and  trouble.  For  the 
researchers  having  each  one  a  different  standard  set  up, 
went  in  quest  of  a  people  who  would  conform  to  it.  The 
natural  consequence  was,  that  they  were  all  tempted  to 
mould  the  character  of  the  Waldenses  to  suit  their  views. 
The  pious  Milner  is  a  notable  example  of  this  kind.  But 
a  number  of  older  writers,  who  do  not  seem  to  have 
thought  of  the  Baptists,  nor  in  the  least  suspected  that  they 
would  derive  any  advantage  from  their  statements,  have 
told  without  reserve  all  that  the  accusers  of  these  people 
said  of  their  rejecting  infant  baptism,  and  they  have  also 
stated  their  arguments  in  favour  of  the  baptism  o[  bdieuers 
and  of  them  only. 

"  Little,"  says  Robinson,  "  did  the  old  Waldenses 
think,  when  they  were  held  in  universal  abhorrence,  and 
committed  everj^  where  to  the  flames,  that  a  time  would 
come,  when  the  honour  of  a  connexion  with  them,  would 
be  disputed  by  different  parties  of  the  highest  reputation. 
So  it  happened,  however,  at  the  reformation,  and  every 
reformed  church  put  in  its  claim."* 

Uninterrupted  succession  was  the  cause  of  these  differ- 
ent claims,  but  all  attempts  to  prove  such  a  succession 
have  proved  ineffectual. 

"  Protestants  by  the  most  substantial  arguments  have 
blasted  the  doctrine  of  papal  succession  ;  and  yet  these 
very  protestants  have  undertaken  to  make  proof  of  an  un- 
broken series  of  persons  of  their  own  sentiments,  following 
one  another  ia  due  order  from  the  apostles  to  themselves. 
The  papal  succession  is  a  catalogue  of  names  of  real  and 
imaginary  men,  of  christians  and  atheists,  blasphemers  and 
saints.  The  Lutheran  succession  runs  in  the  papal  chan- 
nel till  the  reformation,  and  then  in  a  small  stream  changes 

•  Robinson's  Researcbea,  p.  310. 


132       Different  Kinds  of  People  called  Wal dense s, 

its  course.  The  Calvinist  succession,  which  includes  the 
Presbyterians  and  all  sects  which  originated  from  Geneva, 
is  a  zig-zag,  and  it  is  made  up  of  men  of  all  principles  and 
all  communities,  and,  what  is  very  surprising,  of  popes, 
arians,  and  anabaptists,  exactly  such  men  as  Calvin  and 
his  associates  committed  to  the  flames  for  heresy. 

"  The  doctrine  of  uninterrupted  succession  is  necessary 
only  to  such  churches  as  regulate  their  faith  and  practice 
by  tradition,  and  for  their  use  it  was  first  invented. "*^ 

But  a  Baptist  has  not  the  least  trouble  about  what  is 
called  a  lineal  or  apostolical  succession.  His  line  of  suc- 
cession is  in  faithful  men,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  indifference 
with  them,  when  or  where  they  lived,  by  what  name  they 
were  called,  or  by  whom  they  were  baptized  or  ordained. 
But  one  thing  is  certain,  that  if  any  thing  has  been  omitted 
or  done  wrong,  they  are  sure  to  correct  it  according  to 
their  views  of  the  apostolical  model. 

One  observation  farther,  respecting  the  Waldenses, 
ought  not  to  be  omitted.  Some  have  attempted  to  prove 
that  they  were  all  Pedobapiists,  and  others,  that  they  were 
all  Baptists.  Both,  in  my  opinion,  attempt  to  prove  too 
much.  That  many  and  probably  most  of  them  were  Bap- 
tists, or  would  now  be  esteemed  such,  I  think  has  been 
clearly  proved ;  but  it  is  evident  that  others  baptized  their 
children,  and  some  of  them  fell  in  with  Calvin's  party  at 
Geneva,  soon  after  the  commencement  of  the  reformation. 
Some  of  them  appear  to  have  been  like  the  Quakers,  and 
rejected  baptism  altogether.  Some  were  Arians,  Unita- 
rians, Sec.  Some  are  represented  as  a  turbulent  faction  in 
the  church,  while  others  had  wholly  separated  from  it* 
Some,  we  find,  engaged  in  political  struggles  and  in  scenes 
of  war,  while  others  m  ould  not  swear  at  all,  nor  bear  arms 
in  any  case,  nor  shed  human  blood.  This  circumstance 
seems  to  cast  a  gloom  over  the  character  of  the  Wal- 
denses, but  it  admits  of  an  easy  and  satisfactory  expla- 
nation. 

We  have  shown  that  the  terms  Waldenses  and  Albigen^ 
ses  were,  by  the  papists,  generally  applied  to  all  the  ad\  er- 
saries  of  the  pope  and  the  tyranny  and  superstitions  of 
Rome* 

*  Robinson's  Researches,  p.  476- 


JRaymond  of  Toulouse.  133 

The  term  Waldenses  was  most  generally  used  and  an- 
swered very  nearly  to  that  of  Nonconformist  in  England, 
which  every  one  knows  comprehends  a  multitude  of  sects, 
among  whom  there  exists  a  great  variety  of  opinions  and 
practices.  Considering  then  the  term  Waldenses  as  a  gen- 
eral name  for  a  dissenter,  it  is  easy  to  conceive  that  it 
would  comprehend  a  great  variety  of  characters  ;  and  it  is 
a  well  known  fact  that  this  term  was  applied  without  any 
distinction,  to  the  righteous  and  profligate,  to  the  wise  and 
foolish,  to  the  orthodox  and  heterodox,  to  the  sober  chris- 
tian and  the  turbulent  incendiary.  The  adversaries  of 
Rome  dissented  for  different  reasons,  some  for  conscience' 
sake,  and  others  from  political  motives,  some  were  chris- 
tians and  others  were  not  ;  but  it  is  always  found  that  an 
infidel  is  as  anxious  for  liberty  of  conscience  as  a  christian. 
These  things  make  it  necessary  to  distinguish  between  the 
evangelical  Waldenses,  who  are  usually  considered  as  the 
ancient  witnesses  for  the  truths  and  that  promiscuous  as- 
semblage of  dissenters,  to  whom  the  papists  misapplied 
the  name. 

The  people  properly  called  Waldenses  were  remarkable 
for  the  purity  of  their  morals  and  the  simplicity  of  their 
faith,  their  enemies  themselves  being  judges  ;  and  so  far 
from  engaging  in  any  political  struggles,  many  of  dieni 
would  not  in  any  case  bear  arms  nor  shed  human  blood. 
Others  seem  to  have  believed  in  defensive  war,  and  when 
their  enemies  came  to  molest  them  in  their  vallies  and  ob- 
scure retreats,  they  assembled  at  the  defiles  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  v.ith  bows  and  arrows  disputed  their  passage, 
and  often  repelled  them. 

It  has  often  been  the  lot  of  christians  to  be  charged  with 
tumults  and  seditions  in  which  they  had  no  handj  but 
which  they  heartily  abhorred.  It  has  also  often  happened, 
that  they  have  had  officious  patrons  and  defenders,  who 
have  done  them  more  hurt  than  good.  There  is  a  remark- 
able example  of  this  kind  in  the  history  of  the  Waldenses. 
In  the  beginning  of  the  twelfth  century,  these  people  were 
very  numerous  in  the  southern  parts  of  France,  and  par- 
ticularly in  the  dominions  of  Raymond,  count  of  Toulouse. 
They  appear  to  have  emigrated  hither  from  the  other  side 
of  the  Alps.     Raymond  strongly  protected  his  Waldensian 


134  Concluding  Account  of  the  Waldenses, 

subjects,  though  there  seems  no  evidence  that  he  under- 
stood or  felt  the  vital  influence  of  their  doctrine.  At  this 
time  the  horrid  inquisition  was  just  established,  and  its 
cruel  instruments  were  dispersed  in  different  countries. 
But  this  bloody  engine  met  with  violent  opposition,  and  in 
many  cases  the  inquisitors  were  apprehended  and  confin- 
ed, and  some  were  murdered  either  by  an  enraged  popu- 
lace, or  by  the  secret  contrivances  of  princes.  Two  in- 
quisitors were  sent  into  the  dominions  of  Raymond,  who 
met  with  rough  treatment,  and  one  of  them  was  murdered, 
and  Raymond  was  considered  the  author  of  his  death. 
This  circumstance  furnished  pope  Innocent  with  a  spe- 
cious pretence  for  executing  his  bloody  purposes  ;  a  holy 
war  was  undertaken  against  Raymond  and  his  subjects, 
and  multitudes  of  the  innocent  Waldenses  were  slain  and 
dispersed,  in  revenge  for  one  rash  act  of  their  patron, 
which  was  committed  without  their  knowledge  or  de- 
sire. 

Among  the  people  properly  called  Waldenses,  there 
was  doubtless  some  diversity  of  opinion  as  it  respects  mat- 
ters both  of  faith  and  practice.  But  it  is  certain  from  the 
testimony  of  both  friends  and  enemies,  that  many  of  them 
rejected  infant  baptism,  and  held,  that  professed  believers 
were  the  only  subjects  of  the  baptismal  rite.  It  is,  on  the 
other  hand,  evident,  that  some  of  them  baptized  their  chil- 
dren, but  all  were  obnoxious  to  the  Church  of  Rome,  and 
sorely  felt  the  weight  of  her  revengeful  hand.  But  "  as 
thunder  storms  drive  timorous  animals  together  for  shel- 
ter," so  the  storms  of  persecution  induced  these  christians 
to  associate  together  for  their  common  safety  and  mutual 
edification  in  the  things  of  God. 

Some  further  information  respecting  the  Waldenses  will 
be  given  in  the  accounts  which  will  follow  in  the  next  chap- 
ter. And  it  w  ill  be  found  that  wherever  they  prevailed 
infant  baptism  was  opposed,  and  the  baptism  of  believers 
was  maintained.   . 


Germany.  135 


CHAP.  IV. 

ALL  the  scenes  described  in  the  preceding  chapter 
transpired  before  the  reformation  in  the  sixteenth  century. 
We  have  seen  that  the  Waldenses  uere  first  found  in  the 
vallies  of  Piedmont,  in  Italy  ;  that  they  were  thence  dispers- 
ed into  France,  Spain,  Germany,  England,  and  other  Eu- 
ropean kingdoms.  We  have  hitherto  considered  them  as 
a  collective  body,  without  any  regard  to  the  kingdoms  or 
countries  which  they  inhabited.  In  this  chapter  we  shall 
treat  of  them  and  their  descendants,  and  of  all  who  main- 
tained their  principles,  under  the  heads  of  the  governments 
in  which  they  were  found,  and  in  some  cases  we  shall  find 
it  necessary  to  go  back  beyond  the  period,  to  which  in  the 
last  chapter  we  arrived. 

GERMANY. 

The  German  empire,  properly  so  called,  before  the  late 
revolutions  in  Europe,  contained  twenty-eight  millions  of 
inhabitants.  It  was  six  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  five 
hundred  and  twenty  in  breadth.  It  was  divided  into  ten 
circles  or  great  districts,  which  were  called  Franconia, 
Ba\  ana,  Suabia,  Upper  Rhine,  Westphalia,  Lower  Saxo- 
ny, Austria,  Burgundy,  Lower  Rhine,  and  Upper  Saxony. 
This  great  empire  was  singular  for  being  a  combination  of 
upwards  of  three  hundred  sovereignties,  independent  of 
each  other,  but  composing  one  political  body  under  an 
elective  head,  called  the  emperor  of  Germany.  Eight 
princes  of  the  empire,  called  the  electors,  had  the  right  of 
electing  the  emperor.  The  seventeen  provinces  knonn  by 
the  name  of  the  Netherlands,  in  which  are  the  seven 
United  Provinces  of  Holland,  were  not  included  in  the 
great  Germanic  body.  Great  changes  have  taken  place  in 
the  civil  divisions  and  government  of  this  country  since  the 
revolution. 

Our  information  respecting  the  Baptists  in  Germany  in 
ancient  times  is  extremely  limited.  But  Mosheim  assures 
us  that  they  were  in  this  empire  long  before  the  rise  of 
Lather  and  Calvin.  They  were  the  descendants  of  the 
Waldenses,    Petrobrussians,    and  other    eminent  sects. 


136  Anabaptists  in  Germa?iy, 

They  were  called  by  their  ancient  names,  until  about  the 
time  of  the  reformation  ;  then  they  began  to  be  denomi- 
nated Anabaptists,  and  according  to  Robinson,  this  name 
was  given  to  them  by  a  Swiss  pedant,  who  could  not  be 
easy  without  letting  the  world  know  that  he  understood 
Greek.  In  this  chapter  we  shall  treat  of  the  Baptists  un- 
der three  different  names.  They  were  first  called  Germa?i 
Anabaptists,  which  term  is  familiar  to  all  who  have  studied 
the  history  of  the  Baptists  as  related  by  their  adversaries. 
After  Menno  they  were  generally  called  Mennonites.  But 
the  Mennonites  in  process  of  time  settled  mostly  in  Hol- 
land, and  here  they  received  the  common  name  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  country,  and  were  called  Dutch  Baptists. 
These  few  explanatory  remarks  the  reader  ought  to  bear  in 
inind  while  perusing  the  following  sketches. 

It  is  said  the  Dutch  Baptists  have  published  voluminous 
histories  of  themselves,  but  I  do  not  find  that  any  of  their 
works  have  been  translated  into  English,  or  that  the 
Baptists  in  England  or  America  have  had  much  acquaint- 
ance with  them.  I  find  Crosby  and  other  writers  often 
make  mention  of  a  folio  volume,  called  the  martyrology  of 
the  foreign  Anabaptists.  I  have  taken  much  pains  to  learn 
Eomething  about  this  book,  but  have  hitherto  been  unsuc- 
cessful. It  is  said  however  to  contain  a  numerous  list  of 
ancient  Baptist  martyrs. 

Most  of  the  information  I  can  find  respecting  the  old 
German  Anabaptists,  is  contained  in  Mosheim's  Ecclesias- 
tical History,  and  his  accounts  are  taken  from  slanderous 
reports,  and  the  writings  of  Lutherans,  who,  like  himself, 
%vere  all  intent  on  covering  the  Baptists  with  shame,  and 
exalting  on  their  ruins,  their  own  august  Pedobaptist 
establishment. 

"  Mr.  Arnoldi  and  Dr.  Schyn,  two  Dutch  Baptist  writers, 
have  proved  by  irrefragable  evidence  from  state  papers, 
public  confessions  of  faith,  and  authentic  books,  that 
Ezechiel  and  Frederic  Spanheim,  Heidegger,  Hoffman, 
and  others  have  given  a  fabulous  account  ojf  the  history  of 
the  Dutch  Baptists,  and  that  the  younger  Spanheim,  had 
taxed  them  with  holding  thirteen  heresies,  of  all  which, 
not  a  single  society  of  them  believed  one  word  ;  yet  later 
historians  quote  these  writers  as  devoutly,  as  if  all  they 
bad  affirmed  were  undisputed  and  allowed  to  be  true." 


Frightful  Accounts  of  the  Anabaptists.  157 

No  Pedobaptist  writer  has  made  more  important  con- 
cessions in  favour  of  the  advocates  of  believer's  baptism 
than  Mosheim,  and  yet  no  writer  has  treated  them  with 
more  roughness  and  asperity,  or  loaded  them  with  a  great- 
er number  of  reproachful  terms.  Whenever  he  has  refer- 
red to  their  history,  he  has  given  full  scope  to  his  stu- 
pendous verbosity,  and  poured  upon  them  a  tremendous 
shower  of  invective  and  reproach.  The  German  Anabap- 
tists, according  this  writer,  were  a  ivrongheaded,  a  hot- 
headed^ dangerous,  dehidcd.  fanatical,  chimerical  tumultu- 
ous, seditious,  furious,  ferocious,  pestilential,  heretical,  re- 
bellious^ turbulent,  odious,  pernicious,  wild,  savcge^  detesta- 
ble, fagitious,  mad,  insane,  delirious,  miserable  rabble  of 
wretches,  a  motly  tribe  of  enthusiasts,  mad-men  and  mon- 
sters, whom  all  sober  people  abhorred,  and  \\hom  the 
magistrates  found  it  necessary  to  put  to  the  most  mibcra- 
ble  deaths,  for  the  safety  of  the  church  and  the  peace  of 
the  land.  These  and  many  other  expressions  of  a  similar 
nature  are  found  in  Mosheim's  account  of  the  Anabaptists 
of  Germany  ;  indeed,  he  seems  to  have  almost  exhausted 
the  vocabulary  of  slander,  in  describing  this  despised  and 
unfortunate  people.  But  in  the  midst  of  this  thunder-storm, 
of  defamation,  there  are  some  intervals  of  cand-'Ur  and  cor- 
rectness ;  and  some  of  the  statements  of  this  majestic  wri- 
ter every  Baptist  most  heartily  appioves.  And  after  all 
the  frightful  stories  about  Nicholas  Stork  and  the  mad-men 
of  Munster,  he,  like  other  writers  on  the  same  subject, 
*'  concludes  with  a  compliment  to  the  modern  Baptists, 
for  having  seen  into  the  errors  of  their  ancestors,  and  be- 
haved with  propriety  for  several  years  past,  like  a  very 
good  sort  of  men." 

But  after  all  these  reproachful  invectives,  it  is  found,  up- 
on strict  examination,  that  the  tumults  in  Germany  were 
first  commenced  by  Catholicks,  that  all  parties  helped  to 
carry  them  on,  and  that  the  affair  at  Munster  was  begun, 
not  by  the  Anabaptists,  but  by  Bernard  Rotman,  a  Pedo- 
baptist minister  of  the  Lutheran  persuasion,  as  will  be 
shown  in  its  proper  place. 

That  there  were  tumultuous  scenes  in  Germany,  in  the 
beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  no  person  can  deny. 
That  some  real  and  many  reputed  Baptists  had  a  hand  in 
them,  every  understanding  Baptist  will  allow  ;    but  that 

VOL.    I.  18 


138        Anabaptists  dissatisfied  with  Luther^s  Plan. 

the  Baptists  were  the  principal  promoters  of  these  scenes, 
that  their  Baptistical  sentiments  led  them  to  engage  in  po- 
litical struggles,  and  that  their  denomination  originated  at 
this  time,  are  statements  which  they  now  do,  and  always 
haAC  contended,  are  slanderous  and  false.  But  leaving  this 
subject  for  the  present,  we  will  attempt  to  give  some  brief 
sketches  of  the  history  of  the  Baptists  in  Germany,  and 
some  of  the  neighbouring  states. 

Before  the  rise  of  Luther  and  Calvin,  there  lay  conceal- 
ed in  almost  all  the  countries  of  Europe,  particularly  in 
Bohemia,  Moravia,  Sivitzerland  and  Germany,  many  per- 
sons who  adhered  tenaciously  to  the  doctrine  which  the 
Waldenses,  Wickliffites,  and  Hussites  had  maintained. 

These  concealed  christians  we  have  good  reasons  for 
believing  were  mostly  Baptists ;  and  by  Mosheim's  con- 
cessions, and  a  number  of  concurring  testimonies,  they 
were  the  remains  of  the  ancient  Waldenses,  who  had  been 
driven  hither  by  papal  persecutions.  This  hint  of  Mo- 
sheim's, is  the  first  account  we  have  of  them  ;  and  from  this 
period  we  must  begin  to  trace  their  progress.  *'  The 
drooping  spirits  of  these  people,  who  had  been  dispersed 
through  many  countries,  and  persecuted  every  where  with 
the  greatest  severity,  were  revived  when  they  were  inform- 
ed that  Luther,  seconded  by  several  persons  of  eminent 
piety,  had  successfully  attempted  the  reformation  of  the 
church.  They  now  started  up,  all  on  a  sudden,  under 
different  leaders  in  Germany,  Switzerland,  and  the  Neth- 
erlands,'* and  fondly  hoped  tliat  the  happy  and  long  ex- 
pected period  had  arrived,  in  ^^hich  God  was  about  to 
visit  his  people,  and  restore  his  church  to  her  primitive 
purity  and  simplicity.  They  looked  up  to  Luther  and 
his  associates,  with  the  most  lively  hopes  and  expec- 
tations ;  they  conmienced  their  labours  in  an  open  and 
zealous  manner,  great  success  attended  their  exertions, 
and  great  numbers  fell  in  with  their  views.  Their 
progress  was  rapid  and  extensive,  and  soon,  in  a  great  part 
of  Europe,  they  had  a  prodigious  multitude  of  followers. 
They  were  pleased  to  find  the  pillars  of  Babylon  shaken, 
by  means  of  Luther  and  his  companions  ;  but  they  soon 
became  dissatisfied  with  the  plan  of  reformation  proposed 
by  the  Saxon  reformer.  •  *'  They  looked  upon  it  as  much 
beneath  the  sublimity  of  their  views,"  and  therefore  under- 


Some  Reformers  inclined  to  reject  Infant  Baptism.      139 

took  to  carry  it  forward  to  greater  perfection.  Luther 
built  his  church  after  the  old  popish  model,  or  rather  he 
christened  the  old  church  with  a  new  name,  and  called  it 
reformed.  Luther  repaired  the  old  house,  but  the  Baptists 
thought  it  should  be  taken  down,  the  rotten  timbers  left 
out,  and  be  built  anew  of  what  good  materials  remained. 
Luther's  churches  were  not  made  up  of  good  people  only, 
but  they  embraced  all  within  the  parish  bounds,  and  all, 
whether  righteous  or  wicked,  were  admitted  to  communion. 
This  mode  of  building,  which  makes  all  church  and  no 
world,  was  contrived  in  Babylon,  but  it  is  still  followed  by 
many,  who  profess  to  have  come  out  of  her.  The  Bap- 
tists held  then,  as  they  have  done  in  every  age,  that  the 
church  of  Christ  was  an  assembly  of  true  and  real  saints,  and 
ought,  therefore,  to  be  inaccessible  to  the  wicked  and  un- 
righteous. It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  Luther's  plan 
of  reformation  was  much  beneath  the  sublimity  of  their 
views. 

The  Baptists  w^re  also  dissatisfied  w4th  Luther,  and 
much  disappointed  when  they  found  he  had  determined 
on  retaining  the  old  popish  custom  of  admitting  infants  to 
baptism.  They  vainly  hoped  to  see  a  reformation  in  this 
matter,  and  it  is  asserted  on  respectable  authority,  that 
"  infant  baptism  was  agitated  among  the  reformers  them- 
selves,  and  that  some  of  them  were  for  rejecting  it." 

Arnoldus  Meshovius,  a  historian  of  those  times,  says, 
"that  the  business  of  Anabaptism  began  at  Wittem- 
burg  in  1522.  Luther  then  lurking  in  the  castle  of 
Wartpurg  in  Thuringia,  and  that  he  had  compan- 
ions at  first,  Carolostadt,  Philip  Melancthon,  and 
others  ;  and  that  Luther,  returning  from  his  Patmos,  as 
he  called  it,  banished  Carolostadt  and  the  rest,  and  only 
received  Philip  Melancthon  into  favour  again."* 

Carolostadt,  one  of  Luther's  associates,  was  almost 
constandy  charged,  even  by  his  own  party,  of  being  a  fa- 
vourer of  the  Anabaptists ;  and  John  Gerhard,  a  Lutheran 
minister  says,  that  he  was  called  the  father  of  the  Anabap- 
tists, by  Erasmus  Alberus.f  Zuinglius  the  famous  Swiss 
reformer,  who  flourished  about  the  year  1520,  was,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  confession,   for  a  time  inclined  to  reject  in- 

*  Crosby's  Hist,  of  the  English  Baptists,  vol.  I.  p.  20.       f  Ibi4  p.  19. 


140  Luther  for  Dipping. 

fant  baptism  ;  but  he,  like  many  other  Pedobaptist  minis- 
ters, at  length  gained  a  victory  over  his  scruples,  and  after- 
wards became  a  bitter  persecutor  of  the  despised  Anabap- 
tists, whose  snare  he  had  so  mercifully  escaped.*  And 
c^■e^  the  g  1  eat  Luther  himself  at  first  suggested  some  Bap- 
tistical  opinions.  In  a  conference  with  some  of  the  Vau- 
dois,  who  practised  infant  baptism,  he  contended  that  faith 
and  baptism  ought  always  to  be  connected  together  ;  and 
to  support  his  opinion,  brought  the  passage,  He  that  be- 
lie'^ceth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved.  This  reasoning  of 
the  reformer  appears  strange ;  however,  he  retained  infants, 
and  found  out  a  very  convenient  and  ingenious  way  of  get- 
ting rid  of  the  charge  of  incoiisistency.f 

1'he  mode  of  baptism  Luther  at  first  clearly  defined  to 
be  dipping.  "  The  term,"  says  he,  "  is  Greek,  and  may 
be  rendered  dipping,  as  when  we  dip  any  thing  in  water, 
so  that  it  is  covered  all  over.  And  although  the  custom 
be  now  abolished  among  many,  (for  they  do  not  dip  chil- 
dren, but  only  pour  on  a  little  water)  yet  they  ought  to  be 
wholly  immersed,  and  immediately  taken  out.  The  ety- 
mology of  the  word  seems  to  require  this.  The  Germans 
call  baptism  tauff',  from  tieff,  depth,  signifying,  that  to  bap- 
tize, is  to  plunge  into  the  depth. :[:  ''  The  Catholicks  tax 
Luther  with  being  the  father  of  the  German  dippers, 
some  of  the  first  expressly  declare,  they  received  their  first 

*  Crosby's  Hist.  p.  20.  f  Robinson's  Researches,  p.  541, 

%  Johannes  Bugerchagiiis  Pomeraniiis,  who  was  a  companion  of  Luther, 
and  succeeded  him  in  the  ministry  at  Wittemburg',  a  very  pious  and  learned 
divine,  tells  us  in  a  book  he  published  in  the  German  tong-ue  in  lo42,  "that 
he  was  desired  to  be  a  witness  of  :i  baptism  at  Hamburg,  in  the  year  1529. 
That  when  he  had  seen  the  minister  only  sprinkle  the  infant  wrapped  in 
swathling-clothes  on  the  top  of  the  head,  he  was  amazed  ;  because  he  neith- 
er heard  nor  saw  any  such  thing,  nor  yet  read  in  any  history,  except  in  case 
of  necessity,  in  bed-rid  persons.  In  a  general  assembly,  therefore,  of  all  tlie 
ministers  of  the  word,  that  was  convened,  he  did  ask  a  certain  minister,  John 
Ipritz  by  name,  who  was  some  time  minister  of  Lubec,  how  the  sacrament  r4' 
baptism  was  administered  at  Luhec  ?  Who,  for  his  ])iety  and  candour  did  an- 
swer gravely,  that  infants  were  baptized  naked  at  Lubec,  after  the  same 
fashion  altogether  as  in  Germany.  But  from  whence  and  bow  that  peculiar 
manner  of  ba]itizing  hath  crept  into  Hamburg,  he  was  ignorant.  At  length 
they  did  agree  among  themselves,  that  the  judgment  of  Lulher,  and  of  the 
divines  of  Wittemburg,  should  be  demanded  about  this  point.  Which,  being 
done,  Luther  did  write  back  to  Hr.mburg,  that  this  sprinkling  was  an  abuse, 
^hich  they  ought  to   remove,     Thiis  plunging  was  restored  at   Hamburg.  ' 

Crosby,  vol.  1.  p.  22,  23. 


Different  People  called  Anabaptists.  141 

ideas  of  it  from  him,*  and  the  fact  seems  undeniable,  but 
the  article  of  reforming  witliout  him  he  could  not  bear." 

Luther  fell  out  with  Carolostadt,  for  breaking  down  po- 
pish images  without  his  consent,  with  Zuinglius  and  oth- 
ers, for  holding  that  the  bread  and  wine  were  mere  sym- 
bols, and  widi  Munzer,  Stork,  and  the  Baptists  generally, 
for  refusing  to  admit  whole  parishes  to  their  communion, 
and  for  endeavouring  to  restore  the  ordinance  of  baptism, 
to  its  original  purity. 

Luther  was  undoubtedly  an  instrument  of  great  good  to 
the  church  of  God,  but  his  rough  and  dogmatizing  spirit 
caused  dissensions  atnong  the  reformers,  and  they  soon 
filed  off  into  separate  parties.  The  advocates  for  Pedo- 
baprism  had  great  patrons,  but  the  Baptists  had  none. 
They  had  always  been  persecuted  by  the  papists,  and  soon 
the  protestants  engaged  in  the  same  cruel  business. 

I  find  no  accounts  by  which  we  can  form  an  estimate  of 
the  probable  number  of  those,  who  embraced  the  senti- 
ments of  the  Baptists  in  these  times.  According  to  Mo 
sheirn  tiiere  was  a  prodigious  multitude,  but  we  are  inform- 
ed at  the  same  time  that  they  were  an  ignorant  miserable 
rabble.  There  is  every  reason  for  believing  that  the  num- 
ber of  real  Baptists  ^\as  great,  but  it  is  also  evident  that 
the  number  of  those,  who  were  falsely  so  called,  was  much 
greater.  Formerly  all  who  opposed  the  corruptions  of 
Rome,  were,  by  the  papists,  called  Waldenses;  and  now 
by  tlie  protestants,  all  who  opposed  infant  baptism,  sighed 
for  liberty,  or  exen  projected  any  new  plan  of  a  civil  or  relig- 
ious, of  a  sober  or  visionary  nature,  were  denominated 
Anabaptists.  This  circumstance  is  suggested  by  Mo- 
oheim,  and  it  is  doubtless  correct. 

*  Bishop  Burnet  in  his  history  of  the  reformation,  a«  quoted  by  Crosby, 
says,  "  At  this  time  (1349)  there  were  many  Anabaptists  in  several  parts  of 
England.  They  were  g'enerally  Germans,  whom  the  revolutions  there  had 
forced  to  change  their  seats.  Upon  Luther's  first  i^reaching  in  Germany, 
there  arose  many,  who,  building  on  some  of  his  principles,  carried  things 
much  farther  than  he  did.  The  chief  foundation  he  laid  down  was,  that  the 
Scripture  was  to  be  the  only  rule  of  Christians  "  This  maxim  has  been  gen- 
erally laid  down  by  all  evangelical  reformers,  and  has  ever  proved  dangerous 
to  the  cause  of  infant  baptism.  The  famous  Whitefield  was  a  notable  exam- 
ple of  this  kind.  He  appears  to  have  had  no  design  of  undermining  infant 
taptism,  and  yet  I  am  inclined  to  think,  bj'  what  I  have  learnt  in  my  travels, 
that  some  thousands  in  this  country,  were  led  to  embrace  the  sentiments  of 
the  Baptists  by  following  his  principles  up  to  their  legitimate  consequences. 
It  is  reported  of  Whiteheld,  that  he  once  pleasantly  said,  many  of  his  chick- 
ens had  turned  ducks,  and  gone  into  the  water. 


142      Dr.  Balthamr  burnt  and  his  Wife  droivned. 

When  we  consider  that  the  term  Anabaptist  was  thus 
indiscriminately  applied  to  such  a  heterogeneous  assem- 
blage of  character,  it  will  not  appear  strange  that  the  num- 
ber was  great,  and  that  many  of  them  were  visionary  and 
seditious.  But  it  is  grievous  to  relate  that  the  sword  of 
justice,  or  rather  of  persecution,  was  unsheathed  against  all 
who  bore  the  name  of  Anabaptists,  and  the  innocent  and 
guilty  were  involved  in  the  same  cruel  fate.  Even  Mo- 
sheim  laments  that  so  little  distinction  was  made  between 
the  sober  and  seditious,  by  the  cruel  executioners  of  per- 
secuting edicts.  He  acknowledges  that  those  who  had  no 
other  marks  of  peculiarity  than  their  administering  baptism 
to  cidult  persons  only,  and  excluding  the  unrighteous  from 
their  communion,  met  with  the  same  treatment  as  seditious 
incendiaries,  who  were  for  unhinging  all  government,  and 
destroying  all  authority.  "  It  is  true  indeed,"  says  this 
writer,  "  that  many  Anabaptists  suffered  death,  not  on  ac- 
count of  their  being  considered  as  rebellious  subjects,  but 
merely  because  they  were  judged  incurable  her eticks ;  for 
in  this  century  the  error  of  limiting  the  administration  of 
baptism  to  adult  persons  only,  and  the  practice  of  rebap- 
tizing  such  as  had  received  that  sacrament  in  a  state  of  in- 
fancy, were  looked  upon  as  most  flagitious  and  intolerable 
heresies." 

Thus  the  old  popish  doctrine,  that  obstinate  and  incu- 
rable hereticks  ought  to  die,  was  adopted  into  the  protes- 
tant  creed.  Some  protestant  princes  appear  to  have  been 
unwilling  to  imbrue  their  hands  in  the  blood  oF  hereticks, 
but  we  are  obliged  to  believe  that  the  protestant  ministers 
stimulated  them  to  the  practice.  While  all  parties  were 
disputing  in  defence  of  their  peculiar  tenets,  the  Baptists 
took  the  liberty  of  holding  disputations  in  defence  of  theirs. 
"  In  the  years  1532  and  1528,  there  were  public  disputa- 
tions at  Berne,  in  Switzerland,  between  the  ministers  of  the 
church  there  and  some  Anabaptist  teachers  ;  in  the  years 
1529,  1527,  and  1525,  Oecolampadius  had  various  dis- 
putes with  people  of  this  name  at  Basil,  in  the  same  coun- 
try ;  in  the  year  1525  there  was  a  dispute  at  Zurich,  in  the 
same  country,  about  Pedobaptism,  between  Zuinglius,  one 
of  the  first  reformers,  and  Dr.  Balthasar  Hubmeierus,  who 
afterwards  was  burnt  and  his  wife  drowned  at  Vienna,  in  the 
year  1528  ;  of  whom  Meshovius,  though  a  papist,  gives 
this  character ;  that  he  was  from  his  childhood  brought  up 


Many  other  Baptists  e^cecuted  for  Heresy,         143 

in  learning ;  and  for  his  singular  erudition  was  iionoured 
with  a  degree  in  divinity  ;  was  a  very  eloquent  man,  and 
read  in  the  scriptures  and  fathers  of  the  church.  Hoorn- 
beck  calls  him  a  famous  and  eloquent  preacher,  and  says 
he  was  the  first  of  the  reformed  preachers  at  Waldshut. 
There  were  several  disputations  with  others  in  the  same 
year  at  this  place.  And  in  the  year  1526  or  1527,  accord- 
ing to  Hoornbeck,  Felix  Mans  or  Mentz,  was  drowned  at 
Zurich  ;  this  man,  Meshovius  says,  whom  he  calls  Felix 
Mantscher,  was  of  a  noble  family  ;  and  both  he  and  Con- 
rad Grebel,  whom  he  calls  Cunrad  Grebbe,  who  are  said 
to  give  the  first  rise  to  Anabaptism  at  Zurich,  were  very 
learned  men,  and  well  skilled  in  the  Latin,  Greek,  and 
Hebrew  languages.* 

But  the  liberty  of  defending  their  sentiments  by  argu- 
ments was  soon  denied  our  brethren  by  the  intolerant  re- 
formers. The  cause  of  infant  baptism  lost  ground  so 
much  that  penal  statutes  were  called  in  to  its  aid.  And 
Anabaptism  prevailed  so  fast,  that  to  prevent  its  growth 
the  magistrates  of  Zurich  published  a  solemn  edict  against 
it  in  1525,  requiring  all  persons  to  have  their  children  bap- 
tized, and  forbidding  rebaptization,  under  the  penalty  of 
being  fined,  banished,  or  imprisoned.  Another  was  put 
forth  in  1530,  making  it  punishable  with  death. 

A  few  cases  of  capital  punishments  for  denying  infant 
baptism  are  thus  related  by  Mr.  Crosby  :  "In  the  year 
1528,  Hans  Kaeffer  and  Leonard  Freek,  for  opposing  in- 
fant baptism,  were  beheaded  at  Schwas  in  Germany,  and 
Leopald  Suyder  at  Augsburg  for  the  same.  At  Saltzburg 
eighteen  persons  of  the  same  faith  were  burnt ;  and  twen- 
ty-five at  Waltzen  the  same  year.  In  the  year  1529,  twen- 
ty of  them  were  put  to  death  in  the  Palatinate  ;  and 
three  hundred  and  fifty  at  Altre  in  Germany.  The  men 
for  the  most  part  beheaded,  and  the  women  drowned.  In 
1533,  Hugh  Crane,  and  Margaret  his  wife,  with  two  more, 
were  martyred  at  Harlem  ;  the  woman  was  drowned  ;  the 
three  men  were  chained  to  a  post,  and  roasted  by  a  fire  at 
a  distance  till  they  died.  This  was  the  very  same  year 
that  the  rising  was  at  Munster.  Likewise,  in  the  protes- 
tant  cantons  in  Switzerland,  they  were  used  as  hardly 
about  the  same  time.     In  1530,  two  of  the  baptized  breth- 

*  lyiiney,  p.  17. 


144  Menno. 

rcn  were  burnt.  In  1531,  six  more  of  the  congregation  of 
Baptists,  were  martyred  in  the  same  place.  In  1533,  two 
persons,  Lodwick  Test  and  Catharine  Harngen,  were  burnt 
at  Munster. 

But  the  rustick  war  now  coming  on,  which  concluded 
with  the  tragedy  at  Munster,  in  which  some  of  the  Ana- 
baptists were  concerned,  the  name  now  became  unspeak- 
ably odious,  and  always  excited  the  idea  of  a  seditious  in- 
cendiary, a  pest  to  human  society.  All  who  were  called 
by  this  name,  whatever  was  their  character  or  sentiments, 
became  the  objects  of  reproach  and  vengeance,  and  were 
every  where  exposed  to  ravages  and  death. 

We  shall  for  the  pref,ent  leave  our  German  brethren  in 
the  most  deplorable  situation,  every  where  hunted  like  sav- 
ages and  exposed  to  death  in  its  most  tormenting  and  re- 
vengeful forms.  The  Munster  affair  with  its  causes  and 
consequences  will  be  considered  under  a  separate  head. 

It  is  natural  to  conclude  that  while  the  terrors  of  death  in 
the  most  dreadful  forms  were  presented  before  all,  who  op- 
posed the  baptism  of  infants,  or  in  the  least  favoured  the 
Anabaptists,  that  many  deserted  them,  and  especially  that 
promiscuous  multitude,  which  Mosheim  describes,  who 
never  entered  into  the  spirit  of  their  principles,  and  who 
were  connected  with  them  by  most  feeble  ties.  But  on 
the  other  hand  some  excellent  characters  became  members 
of  their  communion,  among  whom  Menno  Simon  appears 
to  have  held  the  most  distinguished  rank.  Menno,  for  by 
his  first  name  he  appears  to  have  been  ^-enerally  called, 
was  born  at  Witmars  in  Friesland,  in  1505.  He  was  or- 
dained a  popish  priest,  and  continued  a  famous  preacher 
and  disputer  in  the  Catholick  connexion  until  1531,  when 
he  began  to  suspect  the  validity  of  many  things  in  the 
church  of  Rome,  and  among  the  rest  that  of  infant  baptism. 
He  first  discovered  his  suspicions  to  the  doctors  of  his  own 
fraternity,  then  to  Luthtr,  but  failing  of  satisfaction  from 
any,  he  next  betook  himself  to  the  study  of  the  New- Tes- 
tament and  ecclesiastical  history,  and  as  it  generally  hap- 
pens in  all  such  cases,  he  brought  up  at  last  on  Baptist 
ground.  Mosheim  asserts  that  he  went  over  to  the  Aiia- 
baptists  first  in  a  clandestine  manner,  and  frequented  their 
assemblies  with  the  utmost  secrecy  ;  but  in  the  year  1536, 
he  threw  off  the  mask,  resigned  his  rank  in  the  Romish 


Mosheim's  Account  of  Menno.  1,45 

church  and  publickly  embraced  dieir  communion.     About 
a  year  after  this,  he  began  his  ministry  among  the  Anabap- 
tists, and  *'  from  this  period  to  the  end  of  his  days,  (that 
is,  during  the  space  of  twenty-five  years)  he  travelled  from 
one  country  to  another,  with  his  wife  and  children,  exer- 
cising his  ministry  under  pressures  and  calamities  of  vari- 
ous kinds,  that  succeeded  each  other  without  interruption, 
and  constantly  exposed  to  the  danger  of  falling  a  victim  to 
the  severity  of  the  laws.     East  and  West  Friesland,  togeth- 
er with  the  province  of  Groningen,  were  first  visited  by 
this  zealous  apostle  of  the  Anabaptists  ;  from  thence  he  di-^ 
rected  his  course  into  Holland,   Gelderland,   Brabant,  and 
Westphalia,  continued  it  through  the  German  provinces 
that  lie  on  the  coast  of  the  Baltic  sea,  and  penetrated  so  far 
as  Livonia.     In  all  these  places  his  ministerial  labours  were 
attended  with  remarkable  success,  and  added  to  his  sect  a 
prodigious  number  of  proselytes.     Hence  he  is  deservedly 
looked  upon  as  the  common  chief  of  almost  all  the  Ana- 
baptists, and  the  parent  of  the  sect  that  still  subsists  under 
that  denomination.     The  success  of  this  missionary  will 
not  appear  very  surprising  to  those  who  are  acquainted  with 
his  character,  spirit,  and  talents,  and  who  have  a  just  no- 
tion of  the  state  of  the  Anabaptists  at  the  period  of  time 
now  under  consideration.     Menno  was  a  man  of  genius  ; 
though,  as  his  writings  shew,  his  genius  was  not  under  the 
direction  of  a  very  sound  judgment.     He  had  the  inesti- 
mable advantage  of  a  natural  and  persuasive  eloquence, 
and  his  learning  was  sufficient  to  make  him  pass  for  an  or- 
acle in  the  eyes  of  the  multitude.     He  appears,  moreover, 
to  have  been  a  man  of  probity,  of  a  meek  and  tractable 
spirit,  gentle  in  his  manners,  pliable  and  obsequious  in 
his  commerce  with  persons  of  all  ranks   and   characters, 
and  extremely  zealous  in  promoting  practical  religion  and 
virtue,  which  he  recommended  by  his  example,  as  well 
as  by  his  precepts."* 

*  "Menno  was  born  at  Witmarsum,  a  village  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Bolswert,  in  Friesland  in  the  year  1505,  and  not  in  1496,  as  most  writers  tell 
us.  After  a  life  of  toil,  peril,  and  agitation,  he  departed  in  peace  in  the  year 
1561,  in  the  diitchy  of  Holstein,  at  the  country-seat  of  a  certain  nobleman,  not 
far  from  the  city  of  Oldesloe,  who,  moved  with  compassion  at  a  view  of  the 
perils  to  which  Menno  was  exposed,  and  the  snares  that  were  daily  laid  for 
his  I'uin,  took  liim,  together  with  certain  of  his  associates,  into  his  protection, 
and  gave  him  asylum.  We  have  a  particular  account  of  this  famous  Anabap- 
tist in  the  Cambria  Literata  of  Mollerus,  torn.  ii.  p.  835.     See  also  Hermon 

VOL.    T,  ]9 


I'iG  Morgan  Edwards^  Account  of  Menno. 

"  Menno,"  says  Morgan  Edwards,  "  continued  preach- 
ing and  planting  churches  in  various  parts  of  the  low  coun- 
tries, for  a  course,  of  about  thirty  years,  and  died  in  peace 
Jan.  31,  1561,  after  having  been  hunted  like  a  partridge 
on  the  mountain,  by  both  protestants  and  papists.  The 
faith  and  order  of  this  eminent  reformer  may,  in  some 
measure,  be  gathered  from  the  fragments  of  his  works, 
which  are  now  extant.  A  general  Baptist  (as  that  char- 
acter is  understood  in  Great-Britain)  he  certainly  was  ; 
but  I  have  not  seen  sufficient  evidence  of  his  being  what  is 
now  called  an  Arian  or  Socinian.  I  rather  think  that  the 
term  Arminian  or  Remonstrant  would  better  suit  his  relig- 
ious sentiments." 

"  Menno,"  Edwards  farther  observes,  "  was  a  man  of 
jTarts  and  learning,  and  carried  the  reformation  one  step 
farther  than  Luther  or  Calvin  did,  and  Mould,  no  doubt, 
have  been  ranked  with  the  chief  reformers,  had  there  not 
been  some  cross-Qraincd  fatalitv  attendinj?  the  laudable 
deeds  of  Baptists,  to  prevent  their  having  in  this  world 
the  praise  they  deserve." 

Some  farther  account  of  Menno  and  his  sentiments  may 
be  found  in  the  account  of  the  American  Mennonites. 

We  have  no  account  of  the  number  of  churches  founded 
by  Menno,  but  it  was  doubtless  great ;  and  not  only  the 
churches  of  his  planting,  but  most,  if  not  all,  of  his  senti- 
ments appear  from  his  time  to  have  been  distinguished 
by  the  name  of  Mennonites.  Ecclesiastical  writers,  how- 
ever, have  generally  affixed  to  them  the  old  reproachful 
name  of  Anabaptists. 

About  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  according  to 
Mosheim,  there  was  a  warm  contest  among  the  Mennon- 
ites concerning  excommunication,  which  terminated  in  the 
division  of  their  extensive  community.  One  party  was 
distinguished  by  the  name  o^  rigid,  and  the  other  o{  moder- 
ate Anabaptists.  The  moderate  Anabaptists  consisted  at 
first  of  the  inhabitants  of  a  district  in  North-Holland  call- 
ed Waterland,  and  hence  their  whole  sect  was  distinguish- 
ed by  the  denomination  of  Watcrlandians.  The  rigid  part 
of  the  community  were,  for  the  most  part,  natives  of  Flan- 

Schyn  Plenior  Deductio  Historia  Mennonitarum,  cap.  vi.  p.  116.  Tlie  wiit- 
ing3  of  Menno,  wliich  are  almost  all  composed  in  the  Dutch  language,  were 
published  in  folio  at  Amsterdam,  in  the  year  15bl." 

Mosheim,  Vol.  IF.  p.  441. 


Mennonites.  147 

ders  ;  and  hence  their  sect  acquired  the  denomination  of 
Flemingians  or  Flandrians.  The  rigid  Anabaptists  were 
again  divided  on  the  subject  of  excommunication,  into 
Flandrians  and  Frieslanders,  who  differed  from  each  other 
in  their  manners  and  disciphne.  And  to  them  a  third  de- 
nomination was  added,  who  took  the  name  of  their  country, 
like  the  former,  and  were  called  Germans  ;  "for  the  Ana- 
baptists of  Germany  passed  in  shoals  into  Holland  and  the 
Netherlands."  But  the  greatest  part  of  these  three  sects 
came  OA'cr  by  degrees  to  the  moderate  community  of  the 
Wateriandians,  &c.  Thus  the  great  body  of  the  Mennon- 
ites about  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  the  time  Mo- 
sheim's  history  was  published,  had  come  into  the  moderate 
class  of  Anabaptists.  Mosheim  considers  the  change  was 
much  for  the  better,  but  we  may  safely  conclude  the  con- 
trary. What  this  author  would  esteem  a  mark  of  wisdom 
and  charity,  others  would  count  a  worldly  compromise,  the 
natural  consequence  of  a  defection  in  evangelical  zeal  and 
purity.  The  rigid  Anabaptists  undoubtedly  carried  some 
of  their  principles  to  extremes,  but  I  think  there  is  no  haz- 
ard  in  concluding  that  of  the  two  they  had  the  most  evan- 
gelical  creed. 

The  Mennonites  have  established  a  college  in  Amster- 
dam, for  the  benefit  of  their  society,  which  is  called  the 
College  of  the  Sun.  I  conclude  from  an  expression  in  Mo- 
sheim, that  it  was  founded  in  the  former  part  of  the  last 
century.  But  I  have  not  been  able  to  obtain  any  particu- 
lars respecting  the  nature  or  extent  of  the  establishment. 

The  Mennonites  were,  at  first,  every  where  persecut- 
ed and  destroyed.  "  But  after  being  a  long  time  in  an 
uncertain  and  precarious  situation,  they  at  length  obtained 
a  fixed  and  unmolested  settlement  in  the  United  Provin- 
ces,  under  the  shade  of  a  legal  toleration  procured  for  them 
by  William,  prince  of  Orange,  the  glorious  founder  of 
Belgic  liberty.  This  illustrious  chief,  who  acted  from 
principle  in  allowing  liberty  of  conscience  and  worship  to 
christians  of  different  denominations,  Vv^as  moreover  engag- 
ed by  gratitude  to  favour  the  Mennonites,  who  had  as- 
sisted him  in  the  year  1572,  with  a  considerable  sum  of 
money,  when  his  coffers  were  almost  exhausted."* 

•  Mosheim,  vol.  IV.  p.  461. 


148  Baptists  in  Dantzic. 

The  doctrinal  sentiments  of  the  people  we  have  been 
describing,  are  differently  represented.  They  have  pub- 
lished a  number  of  confessions  of  faith  ;  the  most  ancient 
and  respectable,  in  Mosheim's  opinion,  was  published  by 
the  Waterlandians.  Robinson  says  the  Dutch  Baptists 
have  published  creeds,  which  for  the  fundamental  points, 
even  Luther  and  Calvin  might  have  subscribed  ;  he  also  in- 
timates that  they  have  published  others  less  orthodox  in 
their  contents.  It  seems  evident,  that  the  Dutch  and  Ger- 
man Bapti:>ts  have,  generally  speaking,  been  of  an  Armin- 
iaji  cast.  Arminianism  originated  in  Holland,  and  all 
parties  seem  to  have  been  more  or  less  infected  with  it. 

Dr.  Rippon  gives  an  account  of  a  church  of  Mennonites 
in  Dantzic,  v»ho  were  Calvinists.  "  In  consequence  of 
letters  and  registers,"  says  he,  '*  sent  to  the  Rev.  Messrs. 
Henry  Roots,  Isaac  Van  Duhrin,  Erdmann  Stobbe,  and 
Peter  Klein,  the  four  ministers  of  a  Baptist  church  at 
Dantzic,  in  Polish,  otherwise  in  Royal  Prussia,  the  fol- 
lowing information  has  been  communicated  :  Dantzic  is 
a  place  of  great  commerce,  very  populous,  and  perhaps 
about  the  size  of  Liverpool.  The  Dantzicers  have  numer- 
ous places  of  worship  for  Lutherans  and  Calvinists,  the 
steeples  of  which,  as  you  come  from  sea,  begin  to  appear 
at  the  distance  of  about  five  leagues  from  the  city.  They 
have  also  an  English  place  of  ^vorship,  and  a  Baptist  or 
Mennonist  congregation.  Your  letters  to  the  ministers  of 
the  last  named  society,  I  delivered  with  my  own  hand. 
Their  place  of  worship  of  about  40  feet  by  32  is  very  neat. 
Mr.  Roots,  the  elder  or  pastor  of  the  church,  is  the  young- 
est man  of  their  four  ministers.  They  have  one  deacon, 
an  organ  in  their  meeting,  and  one  service  in  a  day,  which 
begins  at  about  half  after  eight  in  the  morning,  and  ends 
at  eleven.  They  enter  on  vv  orship  with  singing,  then  pra)', 
sing  again,  and  preach  about  three  parts  of  an  hour,  and 
conclude  nearly  as  our  Baptists  congregations  do  in  Eng- 
land. On  Lord's  day  evening,  by  a  previous  appointment, 
I  was  introduced  to  them  at  Mr.  Roots'  :  All  the  four 
ministers  were  present,  the  deacon,  and  also  an  attorney, 
who  understood  and  spoke  English  as  well  as  myself.  I 
was  received  in  a  very  friendly  way,  and,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  place,  saluted  with  a  kiss.  All  five,  the 
ministers  and  deacon  saluted  me.     Your  letters  were  read 


Peculiarities  of  Dutch  Baptists^  149. 

to  them,  and  I  observed  peculiar  emotions  in  their  coun- 
tenances at  your  question  ;  "  Whether  internal  piety  or  the 
religion  of  the  heart  flourished  among  them,  or  in  any  part 
of  Poland  or  Prussia  ?"  In  the  conversation,  which  was 
maintained  between  us  by  the  attorney  our  interpreter,  they 
asked  how  the  Baptists  administered  ordinances  in  Eng- 
land ?  How  often  the  death  of  Christ  was  celebrated  ? 
Whether  there  were  collections  made  for  the  poor  ?  How 
we  sing,  and  what  psalms  ?  Whether  the  psalms  of 
David  only,  or  other  compositions  ?  1  shewed  them  Dr. 
Watts'  hymns  and  psalms,  some  of  which  the  gentleman 
read  off  in  Dutch  ;  and  some  of  theirs  to  me  in  English, 
consisting  of  psalms,  and  also  of  hymns  suited  to  the  Lord's 
supper.  They  asked  if  ue  had  organs  in  our  chapels  ?  I 
told  them  that  they  \^•ere  not  approved  of  ;  and  was  inform- 
ed that  in  general  they  were  not  used  in  their  congregations. 
They  wished  also  to  know  how  long  the  sermons  of  our 
ministers  are  ?  Whether  most  of  our  preachers  are  learned 
men  ?  W'hether  they  are  in  business,  or  receive  salaries 
from  the  congregations  ?  I  replied  as  well  as  I  could.  By 
the  questions  1  proposed  to  them  I  find  that  they  are  Cal- 
vinistic  Baptists,  and  are  quite  clear  in  this  truth,  that  it  is 
impossible  for  any  man  to  be  saved  without  a  real  change 
of  heart.  They  are  enemies  to  all  war,  and  asked  me,  If 
any  part  of  England  was  besieged,  whether  the  Baptists 
would  fight  ?  I  said,  to  be  sure  they  would  defend  them- 
selves against  their  enemies.  But  they  said,  Christ  has 
told  us  we  should  love  our  enemies.  I  then  asked,  what 
is  the  difference  between  my  going  to  war,  and  sending  an- 
other in  my  room  ?  as  I  gathered  from  their  conversation 
they  had  provided  substitutes.  They  replied  that  both 
were  totally  disagreeable  to  them  ;  but  the  laws  of  the  coun- 
ivy  forced  \htm  to  the  latter."* 

The  Germans  and  Dutch  Baptists  appear  always  to  have 
held  some  sentiments  peculiar  to  themselves.  They  neither 
admit  ciiiil  riders  into  their  communion,  nor  allow  any  of  their 
members  to  perform  the  functions  of  magistracy.  They  deny 
the  lawfulness  of  repelling  force  by  force,  and  consider  war,  in 
all  its  shapes y  as  unchristian  and  unjust.  They  are  averse  to 
capital  punishments,  and  feeling  themselves  bound  to  swear 
not  at  all,  they  'will  not  confirm  their  testimony  with  an  oath, 

•  Rippon's  Register,  No  10,  for  April,  ir95. 


150     Number  of  the  Dutch  Baptists. . . .  Their  Defections. 

Respecting  the  number  of  communicants  in  the  Dutch 
or  Mennonite  Baptist  churches,  I  have  obtained  no  infor- 
mation whatever.  According  to  a  list  in  Rippon's  Regis- 
ter, there  were,  in  1790,  in  and  out  of  the  Netherlands, 
two  hundred  and  fifty-two  churches  of  the  Dutch  and 
Mennonite  Baptists,  in  all  of  which  uere  five  hundred  and 
thirty  three  ministers.  Of  these  a  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  churches,  and  two  hundred  and  seventy-one  ministers 
were  in  the  Netherlands  and  Generalities'  Lands.  Fifteen 
churches,  in  which  were  ninety-six  ministers,  were  in 
Prussia.  Twenty-seven  churches  and  ninety-two  minis- 
ters were  in  Upper  Saxony.  Twenty-seven  churches  and 
forty-nine  ministers  were  in  France.  The  rest  were  in 
Switzerland,  Poland,  and  Russia. 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  vital  religion  is  at  a  low  ebb  in 
these  ancient  churches  of  Baptists,  and  I  wish  I  were  able 
to  say  they  had  all  maintained  the  ordinances  of  the  gos- 
pel in  their  primitive  purity,  and  in  the  manner  they  were 
maintained  by  their  persecuted  ancestors.  The  American 
Mennonites  have  adopted  pouring  instead  of  immersion, 
and  it  is  probable  that  many,  and  I  know  not  but  most  of 
the  European  Mennonites,  have  done  the  same.  It  is  cer- 
tain that  the  ancient  German  Anabaptists  practised  dip- 
ping, and  it  is  probable  that  the  magistrates  of  those  times, 
with  a  view  of  proportioning  their  punishment  to  their 
crimes,  caused  many  of  them  to  be  drowned.  Robinson 
says,  that  "Luther  bore  the  Zuinglians'  dogmatizing; 
but  he  could  not  brook  a  further  reformation  in  the  hands 
of  the  dippers."  Menno  taught  the  doctrine  of  dipping 
exclusively.  "  After  we  have  searched  ever  so  diligently," 
said  he,  "  we  shall  find  no  other  baptism  besides  dipping 
IN  WATER,  which  is  acceptable  to  God,  and  maintained 
in  his  word."  After  which  he  adds,  "  Let  who  will  op- 
pose, this  is  the  only  mode  of  baptism  that  Jesus  Christ 
instituted,  and  the  Apostles  taught  and  practised. "*^ 

We  find  in  the  history  of  the  English  Baptists,  that 
about  a  hundred  years  after  Menno  made  this  declaration, 
a  company  of  christians  about  London  became  convinced 
of  believer's  baptism  by  immersion  ;  but  because  they  could 
not  be  satisfied  about  any  administrator  in  England  to  be- 
gin the  practice,  and  hearing  that  some  in  the  Netherlands 

•  Morgan  Edwards'  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Pennsylvania,  p.  93. 


Gejie'oa  renounced  its  Religion,  151 

practised  immersion,  they  sent  over  one  Richard  Blount, 
who  was  immersed  by  a  Dutch  minister,  by  the  name  of 
John  Batte ;  that  on  his  return  he  administered  the  bap- 
tismal rite  in  the  same  mode  to  Samuel  Blacklock  a  min- 
ister, and  that  these  two  baptized  the  rest  of  the  company 
to  the  number  of  fifty-three.^  At  what  time  pouring  in- 
stead of  immersion  was  introduced  among  the  Mennonites, 
I  do  not  find.  The  cause  of  this  change,  according  to 
Morgan  Edwards,  was  as  follows:  "When  they  made 
proselytes  in  prisons,  or  were  hindered  from  going  to 
rivers,  they  made  the  best  shift  they  could,  and  practised 
pouring  when  they  could  not  immerse.  But  as  in  Africa 
so  in  Europe,  what  was  done  at  first  out  of  a  supposed 
necessity,  became  afterwards  to  be  practised  out  of  choice." 

I  have  thus  endeavoured  to  give  a  brief  account  of  the 
rise  of  the  Anabaptists  in  Germany,  of  their  sufferings, 
progress  and  character.  Every  Baptist  will  find  many 
things  in  their  character  which  he  can  but  approve,  but 
their  defection  from  their  ancient  principles  and  practice 
he  will  lament.  But  it  is  some  consolation  to  reflect  that 
the  principles  of  the  ancient  Baptists  in  Germany  have 
spread  extensively  in  other  countries  both  in  Europe  and 
America. 

Every  party  must  have  its  share  of  mortification.  Gene- 
va, once  the  seat  of  Calvin  and  his  orthodox  compeers,  is 
now  overrun  with  French  philosophy.  Geneva,  the  source 
of  Presbyterianism,  has  renounced  the  religion  of  its  ances- 
tors. "  The  present  clergy  of  Geneva,  by  a  public  act 
of  shameless  apostasy,  from  pretended  gratitude  to  France, 
have  abandoned  their  religion,  and  betrayed  their  Saviour. 
Voluntarily  they  have  exchanged  the  Sabbath  of  christians 
for  the  decade  of  Atheists."* 

The  primitive  christians  maintained  baptism  aright  for 
a  number  of  ages,  and  then  they  fell  into  error.  The  an- 
cient Waldenses  were  doubtless  for  a  long  time  uniform 
in  their  ideas  of  baptism,  but  in  process  of  time  some  of 
them  got  to  baptizing  their  children.  The  Dutch  Baptists 
held  to  dipping  believers  at  first ;  they  still  retain  the  sub- 
jects of  the  ordinance,  but  by  a  surprising  change,  some, 
1  know  not  how  many,  have  departed  from  the  Apostolick 
mode.     And  although  they  still  retain  the  name  of  Bap- 

•  lyimey,  p.  143.         t  Morse  and  Parish's  Gazetteer,  article  of  Geneva, 


152  General  Account  of  Bohemia. 

tlsts,  yet  we  can  have  no  fellowship  with  their  present 
mode  of  administering  baptism  ;  for  with  every  real  Bap- 
tist, pouring  as  well  as  sprinkling  is  null  and  void. 

Bohemia. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  give  any  thing  like  a  connected  his- 
tory  of  the  people  of  whom  \ve  are  inquiring  under  this 
and  the  following  heads.  The  want  of  materials  would 
render  such  an  attempt  altogether  impracticable.  The 
most  that  I  can  learn  is,  that  there  have  been  at  different 
periods  large  numbers  of  christians  in  Bohemia,  Moravia, 
Poland,  Transylvania,  and  other  parts  of  Europe,  which 
have  not  yet  been  mentioned,  who  maintained  believer's 
baptism  by  immersion,  but  who,  at  the  same  time,  were 
much  divided  in  their  doctrinal  sentiments.  All  I 
shall  now  attempt,  will  be  to  give  some  extracts  of  their 
history,  and  then  collect  some  brief  biographical  sketches 
of  some  of  their  most  distinguished  characters. 

Bohemia,  before  the  late  revolutions  in  Europe,  was  a 
distinguished  member  in  the  great  Germanic  body.  The 
king  of  Bohemia  was  one  of  the  eight  electors  of  the  Em- 
',:)eror,  and  was  cup-bearer  to  his  imperial  majesty.  The 
present  situation  of  this  kingdom  I  am  not  able  to  state. 

In  Bohemia,  properly  so  called,  were  comprehended  the 
dutchv  of  Silesia  and  the  marquisate  of  Moravia.  There 
appears  to  be  no  information  of  any  importance  respecting 
the  Baptists  in  Silesia  ;  but  of  those  in  Moravia  we  have 
some  interesting  accounts.  And  as  the  Bohemian  and 
Moravian  brethren  all  originated  from  the  same  source, 
■we  shall  connect  their  history  under  the  present 
head. 

Bohemia  received  the  gospel  from  the  eastern  church, 
and  not  from  the  church  of  Rome.  Popery,  however,  was 
introduced  into  this  kingdom  in  the  ninth  century  by  two 
Greek  monks,  but  it  was  not  fully  established  here  till  the 
fourteenth  century,  and  then  not  b}'  the  consent  of  the  Bo- 
hemians, but  by  the  power  and  artifice  of  the  emperor 
Charles  IV.  About  this  time,  it  appears  there  was  an  at- 
tempt made  for  a  reformation  by  two  of  the  emperors' 
chaplains,  whose  names  were  Milicius  and  Janovius.  But 
the  attempt  proved  unsuccessful,  and  the  reformers  were 


'John  Hiiss  and  Jerome  of  Prague,  153 

suppressed  with  disgrace.  But  from  this  period  multi- 
tudes withdrew  themselves  from  the  publick  places  of 
worship,  and  followed  the  dictates  of  their  own  consciences 
by  worshipping  God  in  private  houses,  woods,  and  caves. 
Here  they  were  persecuted,  dragooned,  drowned,  and  kill- 
ed, and  thus  they  went  on  till  the  appearance  of  John  Huss 
and  Jerome  of  Prague. 

The  names  of  John  Huss  and  Jerome  of  Prague  are  gen- 
erally mentioned  in  connection,  and  Bohemia  is  rendered 
famous  in  ecclesiastical  history,  on  account  of  their  labours. 
Under  the  ministry  of  Huss  and  Jerome,  a  work  commenc- 
ed in  this  kingdom,  more  than  a  hundred  years  before 
the  rise  of  Luther  and  Calvin,  which,  in  some  respects, 
was  similar  to  the  reformation  under  them  ;  for  it  began 
upon  spiritual  principles,  and  arose  to  a  thing  of  political 
consequence.  Both  Huss  and  Jerome  were  destroyed  by 
the  council  of  Constance,  in  1415.  Jerome  is  said  to  have 
been  a  far  more  distinguished  man  than  his  friend  Huss  ; 
but,  for  what  reason  I  have  not  learnt,  the  followers  of  both 
were  called  Hussites. 

Huss  was  professor  of  divinity  in  the  university  of 
Prague,  a  preacher  in  one  of  the  largest  churches  in  the 
city,  and  a  man  of  eminent  abilities  and  more  eminent 
zeal.  He  taught  much  of  the  doctrine  of  Wickliff.  His 
talents  were  popular,  his  life  was  irreproachable,  and  his 
manners  the  most  affable  and  engaging.  He  was  the  idol 
of  the  people,  but  execrated  by  the  priests.  He  was  not  a 
Baptist,  but  as  his  sermons  w  ere  full  of  what  are  called 
Anabaptistical  errors,  Wickliffites,  Waldenses,  and  all  sorts 
of  hereticks  became  his  admirers  and  followers  ;  and  as  he, 
in  the  spirit  of  a  true  Bohemian,  endeavoured  to  curb  the 
tyranny  of  the  churchmen,  who  the  nobles  knew  were 
uniting  with  the  house  of  Austria  to  enslave  the  state,  he 
was  patronized  by  the  great,  and  all  Bohemia  was  filled 
with  his  doctrine  and  his  praise. 

The  cruel  fate  of  these  two  eminent  men  produced  very 
astonishing  effects  in  Bohemia.  The  news  of  their  death 
flew  like  lightning  all  over  the  kingdom,  and  it  was  soon 
all  in  an  uproar. 

The  barbarous  conduct  of  the  council  of  Constance  was 
considered  (as  all  other  events  are)  in  very  diflerent  lights 
by  different  people,   according  to  their  various  interests 

foL.   I.  20 


1 54  Zhka. . . .  Anecdote  of  him. 

and  passions.  The  pious  mourned  the  loss  of  these  two 
eminent  servants  of  God,  while  others  were  filled  with  re- 
sentment for  the  insult  offered  to  their  nation. 

We  cannot  trace  in  order  the  proceedings  which  follow- 
ed ;  but  it  is  sufficient  to  observe  that  a  prodigious  multi- 
tude possessing  different  characters  and  vieus  collected, 
and  chose  John  de  Trautenau,  surnamed  Ziska,  that  is 
one-eyed,  for  their  general.  Fugitives  froni  all  parts  daily 
resorted  to  him,  and  put  themselves  under  his  protection, 
till  his  army  amounted  to  forty  thousand.  Ziska  was  es- 
teemed a  man  of  religion,  but  he  was  distinguished  most- 
ly for  his  skill  in  war.  He  seems  to  have  been  much  such 
a  character  as  Oliver  Cromwell,  and  his  army  was  proba- 
bly not  much  unlike  the  one  which  w^as  headed  by  the 
famous  Protector.  Some  were  bent  on  political  changes, 
and  others  were  aspiring  at  religious  freedom.  The  mar- 
tial spirit  of  the  age  undoubtedly  induced  many  sober 
christians  to  engage  in  this  military  campaign,  who  under 
other  circumstances  might  have  taken  a  different  course. 
They  probably,  however,  soon '  fell  out  with  Ziska's  war- 
like operations  ;  for  not  long  after  this,  we  find  a  set  of 
christians  in  this  country,  who  made  it  one  article  of  their 
creed  not  to  bear  arms.  Ziska  demolished  idols,  dis- 
charged monks,  who,  he  said,  were  only  fatting  like  swine 
in  sties,  converted  cloisters  into  barracks,  took  towns,  and 
strongly  guarded  one,  Cuthna,  which,  as  it  commanded  the 
mines,  he  called  anti-christ's  purse.  He  routed  armies, 
tolerated  and  protected  all  religions,  and  encamped  his 
followers  on  a  rocky  mountain,  about  ten  miles  from 
Prague,  which  h.e  soon  fortified  with  a  wall,  within  which 
the  people  built  houses,  and  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of 
Tabor,  in  allusion  to  the  mount  of  transfiguration,  where 
the  apostle  Peter  would  have  erected  tents,  saying,  "  it  is 
good  to  be  here."  Here  the  feeble  found  shelter,  and 
from  this  fortiess  the  army  sallied  forth  to  repulse  their 
enemies.  The  army  continued  its  operations  thirteen 
years,  five  under  Ziska,  and  the  rest  under  his  successor 
Procopius.  It  resisted  the  po\\er  of  Rome  and  Germany 
united,  laughed  at  the  bulls  of  the  pope,  and  routed  the 
armies  of  the  empire.  Ziska  fought  eleven  battlts,  and 
won  them  all.  \Vhen  he  was  dying,  a  friend  asked  him 
where  he  would  be  buried  ?  To  which  he  replied,  "When 


Tabor  it  es. . . .  Procopius.  155 

1  am  dead  let  the  brethren  take  off  my  skin,  let  them  give 
my  flesh  to  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  make  a  drum  of  my 
bkin,  the  Germans  will  flee  at  the  sound  of  it  when  you 
approach  them  in  battle."^ 

The  Taborites,  for  by  this  name  tlie  company  was  now 
called,  chose  Procopius  to  succeed  Ziska  in  the  command 
of  their  army.  He  was  also  a  brave  general,  and  conduct- 
ed the  army  with  courage  and  success.  At  length  Sigis- 
mund,  loaded  with  titles  and  misfortunes,  opened  a  confer- 
ence, and  proposed  an  accommodation,  which  was  accept- 
ed, preparatory  to  a  council,  which  the  pope  had  engaged 
to  hold  at  Basil,  for  the  final  settlement  of  all  religious 
disputes.  Indeed  it  was  high  time  to  put  a  stop  to  the 
barbarous  outrages  committed  in  this  distracted  countr}-, 
in  which  all  parties  had  their  share. 

The  council  met,  and  among  the  delegates  for  the 
Taborites,  Procopius  was  one.  The  general's  patience 
was  often  put  to  the  trial  in  the  course  of  their  discussions. 
He  was  extremely  oftended  with  one  of  the  orators,  who  was 
a  Bohemian,  and  who  called  the  delegates  hereticks.  He 
started  up  in  the  council,  and  exclaimed,  "  That  countryman 
of  ours  insults  us  by  calling  us  hereticks."  Cardinal  Julian, 
who  presided,  endeavoured  to  pacify  him,  and  told  him  he  had 
been  informed  that  his  party  differed  from  the  Roman  church 
in  many  other  articles  beside  the  four  that  had  been  men- 
tioned ;  he  had  heard  they  taught  that  the  fraternities  of  the 
monks  v.ere  the  inventions  of  the  devil,  which  was  an 
offence  to  christian  ears.  "  Very  true,"  replied  the  gen- 
cral,  "  for  if  neither  the  patriarchs,  nor  ISIoses,  nor  the 
prophets,  nor  Christ,  nor  the  apostles  appointed  monke- 
ry, who  does  not  see  that  the  devil  was  the  author  of 
it  ?"  The  council  set  up  a  loud  laugh  at  the  Bohemi- 
an captain's  logic. 

A  part  of  the  Taborites  were  won  over  at  the  council 
and  united  with  the  papal  party  ;  but  a  great  part  of 
them  persisted  in  their  claims  and  continued  their  Nvarlike 
operations  after  the  council  was  over.  But  in  about  two 
years  after  the  council,  Procopius  was  slain,  the  officers  of 
his  army,  and  several  thousand,  who  were  taken  prisoners, 

•  Ziska  was  prflbably  slain  in  battle,  but  I  cannot  find  any  particular  ac- 
count of  it. 


156     Baptists  among  the  Taborites. . . .  Mneas  Syhius, 

were  destroyed  in  the  most  perfidious  manner,  and  the  ar- 
my was  disbanded  and  dispersed  in  different  directions. 

In  Cromwell's  army  there  were  many  Baptists,  and  we 
have  reason  to  believe  there  were  many  in  this. 

At  one  time,  four  hundred  poor  men,  who  had  lived  in 
the  mountains  for  the  sake  of  enjoying  religious  liberty, 
came  down  with  their  wives  and  children  to  Prague,  and 
committed  themselves  to  Ziska.  It  is  highly  probable  that 
these  were  Waldenses,  or  Picards,  the  descendants  of  those 
w  ho  had  come  and  settled  in  remote  parts  of  the  kingdom, 
more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  before,  for  even 
then  in  the  reign  of  Frederick  Barbarossa,  Bohemia  was 
accounted  the  sink  of  all  heresies. 

iEneas  Sylvius,  afterwards  pope  Pius  II.  visited  mount 
Tabor  for  the  purpose  of  diverting  himself  with  the  here- 
ticks.  The  following  is  a  part  of  his  description  of  the  peo- 
ple and  the  place  ;  "  They  have  a  sort  of  \vooden  house 
like  a  country  barn,  which  they  call  a  church.  Here  they 
preach  to  the  people,  here  they  every  day  expound  the  law, 
here  they  have  one  altar  neither  consecrated,  nor  fit  to  be 
consecrated,  and  here  they  give  the  sacrament  to  the  peo- 
ple. The  people  are  not  of  one  faith,  but  every  one  be- 
lieves what  he  pleases.  There  are  as  many  heresies  as 
heads,  for  all  the  heresies  that  have  infected  the  church 
from  the  first  ages  to  this  day  have  found  a  way  into  this 
synagogue  of  satan.  Here  are  Nicolaitans,  Arians,  Mani- 
cheans,  Armenians,  Nestorians,  Berengarians,  and  the  poor 
people  of  Lyons.  The  Waldenses  are  accounted  the  chief, 
and  while  they  remain  enemies  of  the  vicar  of  Christ,  and 
the  apostolical  see,  while  they  reject  all  superiority  and 
preach  liberty,  they  must  necessarily  countenance  all  kinds 
of  errors.  When  I  quitted  the  city,  I  seemed  as  if  1  came 
out  of  hell." 

iEneas  Sylvius  was  one  of  the  most  accomplished  men 
of  his  age.  He  arose  from  one  high  station  to  another, 
until  he  arrived  at  the  popedom.  When  he  visited  the 
Taborites,  he  was  an  archbishop.  In  the  visit  above  de- 
scribed, he  tarried  all  night  at  the  house  of  a  concealed 
Catholick,  who  resided  there  for  the  sake  of  getting  money. 
In  his  second  visit,  he  tarried  but  a  few  hours,  but  all  the 
time  was  busily  employed  in  conversing  and  disputing 
n'ith  the  Taborites.     He  reproved  them  for  their  heresy, 


Unit  as  Fratrum  in  Bohemia.  157 

and  exhorted  them  to  return  to  the  church  which  he  de- 
scribed as  the  immaculate  spouse  of  Christ,  the  spotless 
dove,  &:c.  One  of  the  Taborites  at  length  became  impa- 
tient with  his  harangue,  and  rising  up  exclaimed,  "  Why 
do  you  decorate  the  apostolical  see  with  such  fine  lan- 
guage ?  We  know  that  the  popes  and  the  cardinals  are 
slaves  to  avarice,  impatient,  arrogant,  ostentatious,  devoted 
wholly  to  gluttony  and  lasciviousness,  ministers  of  sin, 
priests  of  the  devil,  and  heralds  of  antichrist,  whose  god 
is  their  belly,  and  whose  heaven  is  their  v.ealth."  This 
man  was  corpulent,  and  had  a  very  prominent  belly,  and 
the  arch-bishop,  who  was  never  at  a  loss,  rose  up,  \\ent  to 
him,  and  putting  his  hand  lightly  on  his  belly,  said  with  a 
smile,  "  Whence  came  this  swelling  ?  W^hy  do  you  re- 
duce yourself  to  such  a  skeleton  by  fiisting  and  prayer  ?'' 
This  well-timed  jest  produced  a  loud  laugh,  and  they  all 
with  many  compliments  parted  in  great  good  humour. 

Out  of  this  company  of  Taborites  arose  a  church,  which 
was  denominated  Unitas  Fratrum,  the  unity  of  brethren. 
One  article  of  their  creed  was,  not  to  bear  arms  ;  and  an- 
other \A'as,  that  the  Scripture  without  tradition  was  a  per- 
fect rule  of  If e  for  christians. 

This  church  composed  of  Waldenses,  Taborites,  and  oth- 
ers, was  formed  at  Lititz,  twenty  miles  from  Prague,  prob- 
ably about  1430.  Not  long  after  they  had  united  into  a 
church,  they  sent  into  Austria,  where  they  found  an  old 
Waldensian  preacher,  from  whom  their  newly  elected  min- 
isters, received  what  they  supposed  a  true  apostolical  ordi- 
nation. 

Not  long  after  this,  we  find  the  United  Brethren  had 
two  hundred  congregations  in  Bohemia  and  Moravia, 
"  Authors,"  says  Robinson,  "disagree  as  much  concern- 
ing the  end  of  this  church,  as  they  do  about  the  rise  of  it. 
Some  affirm  that  it  fell  into  the  reformed  churches  in  the 
time  of  Luther.  Others  say  that  it  subsisted  in  Bohemia, 
till  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Ferdinand  II.  and  that  it  was 
then  scattered  and  lost.  The  people  among  us,  who  are 
called  Moravians,  contend  that  they  are  the  descendants  of 
the  Bohemian  brethren,  and  therefore  they  denominate 
themselves  as  the  ancient  Bohemians  did,  unitas  fratrum. 
It  is  not  to  our  purpose  to  investigate  this  dispute.  It  is 
certain  the  ancient  church  subsisted  at  the  reformation,  and 


158  Beginning  of  Waldenses  In  Bohemia. 

afterwards  left  off  baptizing  adults,  on  their  own  profession 
of  faith." 

"  The  Baptists,"  says  the  same  writer,  "  ought  always 
to  honour  this  church  ;  it  was  a  cradle  in  which  many  of 
their  denomination  w  ere  cherished.  And  all  allow  that  the 
Anabaptists  of  Moravia  proceeded  from  a  schism  in  it.^' 

Leaving  then  the  church  of  the  miitas  fratnim^  let  us 
turn  our  attention  to  that  of  the  Baptists  in  this  country  ; 
for  though  they  were  increased  and  multiplied  by  parties, 
who  withdrew  from  the  unitas  fratrum,  yet  none  of  these 
parties  were  their  founders.  All  Bohemian  historians  say, 
Picards  or  Waldenses  settled  in  Bohemia  in  the  twelfth 
century  at  Satz  andLaunon  the  river  Eger.  Many  affirm 
that  there  was  a  set  of  Arian  vagrants  there  long  before, 
who  had  fled  from  Mesopotamia  from  the  Athanasian  per- 
secution, and  who  were  joined  by  others  fleeing  from  per- 
secution in  successive  ages  from  all  parts  of  Europe.  On 
this  account  most  Bohemian  Catholick  historians  call  their 
country  a  sink  of  heresy,  and  Prague  the  metropolis,  a 
common  and  safe  asylum  for  all  sorts  of  hereticks. 

This  account  of  the  Waldenses  in  Bohemia  is  similar  to 
those  which  we  have  of  this  dispersed  people  in  other 
countries.  We  trace  them  in  their  flight,  we  find  where 
they  settled,  and  then  a  cloud  comes  over  their  history. 
Waldo,  the  famous  patron  of  the  Waldenses,  after  being 
every  where  persecuted,  fled  to  Bohemia,  where  he  ended 
his  days,  about  the  year  1179,  and  according  to  Cranz's 
history  of  the  United  Brethren,  as  quoted  by  Ivimey,  the 
company  of  v.hich  we  are  speaking,  emigrated  hither  at 
the  same  time.  This  was  more  than  two  hundred  years 
before  the  rise  of  Huss  and  Jerome.  "  These  two  men  were 
not  Baptists,  but  they  taught  what  are  called  Anabaptist- 
ical  errors.  The  following  are  a  few  of  this  sort :  "  The  law 
of  Jesus  Christ  is  sufiicient  of  itself  for  the  government  of  the 
church  militant."  "  The  church  is  the  mystical  body  of 
Christ,  of  which  he  is  the  head."  "  They  are  not  of  the 
world  as  Christ  was  not  of  the  world."  "  The  world  hates 
them,  because  it  hates  Christ ;  that  is,  the  virtue  and  tlie  truth 
of  God."  "  Christians  ought  not  to  believe  in  the  church." 
"  All  human  traditions  savour  of  folly."  "  A  multitude  of 
human  doctrines  and  statutes  is  useless,  and  on  many  ac- 
counts pernicious."  "  No  other  law  beside  the  rule  of  scrip- 


Account  of  the  Picards.  159 

ture  ought  to  be  prescribed  to  good  men."  "  The  devil  was 
the  author  of  multiplying  traditions  in  the  church.'* 
*'  Deacons  or  elders  by  the  instinct  of  God,  by  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ,  without  any  license  from  a  pope  or  a  bish- 
op, may  preach  and  convert  spiritual  children."  We  do 
not  say  these  reformers  followed  their  principles  whither 
they  led,  but  we  do  contend  that  some  of  their  hearers 
reasoned  consequentially  from  them,  and  so  became  Bap- 
tists." 

In  the  time  of  Ziska  we  are  informed,  that  about  Prague 
and  in  various  parts  of  Bohemia  and  Moravia,  hereticks 
obtained  a  settlement.  Some  had  long  ago  lived  in  re- 
mote parts  of  the  kingdom  about  the  forests  and  the  mines. 
These  were  now  multiplied  by  an  accession  of  foreigners, 
and  by  converts  of  Huss  and  Jerome,  who,  reasoning  on 
the  principles  laid  down  by  their  teachers,  entertained  the 
same  ideas  of  religion  as  the  old  Vaudois  did.  They  were 
all  indiscriminately  called  Waldenses  and  Picards,*  and 
they  all  rebaptized  ;    but  they  were  of  very  different  senti- 

•  Picards  or  Beghards  was  a  term  of  very  general  meaning,  and  was  ap- 
plied in  diflerent  ages  to  people  of  very  different  descriptions,  to  the  pious 
and  profligate,  to  monks  in  the  chui-ch  of  Rome,  and  others  who  separated 
from  it.  These  people  were  found  in  many  different  countries  m  Europe. 
They  were  sometimes  called  Admnites,  and  at  others,  the  Brethren  and  Sisters 
of  the  Free  Spirit,  and  many  incredible  tales  are  told  about  them.  I  am  fully 
persuaded  that  the  Beghards,  properly  so  called,  originated  from  France.  A 
Beghard'and  a  beggar  were  synonymous  terms,  and  probably  a  scoffmg  world 
applied  the  name  to  a  set  of  christians,  on  account  of  their  poverty.  T))ey 
were  undoubtedly  a  branch  of  the  Waldenses,  and  of  the  same  faitli  with  tlie 
poor  men  of  Lyons.  The  Bohemians,  by  a  change  in  the  pronunciation  of  the 
word,  called  them  Picards  ;  and  it  seems  evident  they  were  at  different  times 
very  numerous  in  that  kingdom.  Two  very  pleasant  anecdotes,  with  regard 
to  the  Picards,  are  related  in  the  history  of  Maximilian  II.  Maximilian,  after 
he  became  emperor,  openly  declared  to  Henry  III.  of  France,  as  he  passed 
through  Vienna,  that  such  princes  as  tyrannize  over  the  consciences  ot  men, 
attacked  the  Supreme  Being  in  the  noblest  part  of  his  empire,  and  frequent- 
ly lose  the  earth  by  concerning  themselves  too  much  with  celestial  matters. 
He  used  to  say  of  Huss,  they  very  much  injured  that  good  man.  His  ph}-- 
sician,  Crato,  was  one  day  riding  with  him  in  his  carriage,  when  his  imperial 
majesty,  after  much  lamenting  the  contentions  of  mankind  about  religion, 
asked  the  doctor,  what  sect  he  thought  came  nearest  the  simplicity  of  the 
apostles  ?  Crato  replied,  "  I  verily  think  the  people  called  Picards."  The 
emperor  added,  "  I  think  so  too."  During  this  reign  every  body  enjoyed 
liberty  of  conscience,  and  when  it  was  attacked,  the  effort  came  to  nothing. 
A  faction  of  catholicks  at  Prague,  envying  the  happiness  of  the  Picard«. 
formed  a  cabal  of  senators,  who  sent  the  chancellor  of  Bohemia  to  Vienna  tw 
entreat  the  emperor  to  empower  them  to  restrain  these  hereticks.  By  some 
means  the  chancellor  succeeded,  and  set  out  for  Pi  ague  with  the  instrument  i 
but  attempting  to  pass  a  bridge  over  the  Danube,  the  bridge  gave  way,  and 
he  and  bis  company  fell  into  the  river  and  were  drowned.  His  corpse  v>z> 
taken  up  by  some  fishermen,  but  the  diploma  was  never  found.     Roblmty-!- 


160  Baptists  increase  in  Bohemia, 

ments,  some  held  the  divinity  of  Christ,  others  denied  it, 
some  believed  more,  others  less,  but  all  were  obliged  to 
act  with  caution,  for  though  they  were  generally  connived 
at,  yet  they  were  not  allowed  to  hold  their  assemblies  pub- 
licity by  law. 

The  Baptists  continued  to  increase  so  much  that  when 
the  disciples  of  Luther,  went  into  Bohemia  and  Moravia, 
they  complained,  that  between  Baptists  and  papists  they 
•were  very  much  straitened,  though  they  grew  among  them 
like  lilies  among  thorns. 

There  are  two  events,  which  we  must  not  pass  over, 
because  they  cast  light  on  two  articles  of  some  consequence. 
The  first  is,  that  a  deputation  from  the  Baptist  churches  in 
Poland  was  sent  to  those  in  Moravia.  Philipowski,  col- 
lector of  the  taxes  in  Poland,  Simon  Rouemberg,  the  drug- 
gist, George  Schoman,  the  minister,  and  several  others, 
who  \\\\\  be  mentioned  more  at  lar<2:e  in  Poland,  came  to 
hold  a  conference  with  the  brethren  in  Moravia,  concern- 
ing both  doctrine  and  discipline,  and  honoured  them  for 
their  piety  and  good  morals  ;  but  they  did  not  approve  of 
their  doctrine,  for  they  coiitended  warmly  for  the  trinity, 
which  the  Poles  did  not  believe,  however  they  departed  in 
peace.  This  may  serve  to  shew  how  inconclusively  they 
reason,  who  infer  from  the  doctrine  of  Lewis  Hetzer,  that 
all  the  Moravian  Baptists  were  Anti-trinitarians.  The 
second  event  is,  that  some  Jesuits,  having  got  into  the 
councils  of  the  too  easy  emperor,  procured  an  edict  to  en- 
force that  which  was  made  in  the  reign  of  Uiadislaus 
against  the  Picards  an  hundred  years  before.  This  had 
no  effect,  for  the  emperor  signed  it  with  great  reluctance  ; 
and  as  he  had  a  little  turn  towards  superstition,  when  the 
news  was  brought  him  inmiediately  after  he  had  signed 
the  edict,  that  the  Turks  had  taken  Stuhl  Weissenberg, 
one  of  his  towns  in  Hungary,  he  exclaimed,  "  I  expected 
some  such  blow  from  the  moment  1  began  to  usurp  do- 
minion over  the  consciences  of  men,  for  they  belojig  to 
God  alone," 

I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  any  thing  respecting  the 
number  of  Baptist  churches  in  Boliemia  and  Moravia  ; 
nor  indeed  can  I  gain  much  information  respecting  their 
liibtory.  Most  of  what  has  been  said  and  w  hat  will  follow, 
is  taken  from  Robinson's  Ecclesiastical  Researches,  and 


A  General  Account  of  Mora'uian  Baptists.  161 

the  article  relating  to  Bohemia  and  Moravia,  was  left  in  aa 
unfinished  state  at  his  death.  From  what  few  sketches  we 
can  collect,  it  is  evident  there  were  many  among-  the  evan- 
gelical dissenters  in  these  countries,  who  held  to  the  lead- 
ing sentiments  of  the  Baptists.  They  differed  among 
themselves  on  doctrinal  points.  In  some  of  their  maxims 
and  modes  of  life,  they  differed  somewhat  from  the  Bap- 
tists in  other  countries,  and  large  companies  of  them  seem 
to  have  been,  in  their  civil  economy,  similar  to  the  present 
Moravians.  They  were  scattered  in  different  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  and  Mr.  Robinson  is  of  opinion,  that  multitudes 
lived  around  and  within  the  vast  herycenian  forest,  of 
whom  neither  friends  nor  enemies  have  obtained  much  in- 
formation. 

But  Bohemia,  after  long  and  violent  struggles  for  liber- 
ty, at  length  fell  under  the  despotick  and  uncontrolled  reign 
of  the  emissaries  of  Rome,  and  heresy,  in  all  its  shapes,  was 
banished  from  the  kingdom. 

The  pope  and  the  court  of  Spain  embarked  in  the 
cause,  and  assisted  Ferdinand  the  emperor  of  Germany,  to 
extirpate  heresy  and  civil  liberty  under  the  opprobrious 
character  of  sedition.  Having  prepared  matters,  by  rein- 
stating the  Jesuits,  it  was  thought  proper  to  begin  with 
that  part  of  the  Baptists  whose  principles  would  not  allow 
them  to  make  any  resistance,  and  who  would  remove  at  a 
word,  without  giving  his  majesty  the  trouble  of  putting 
them  to  death. 

The  Bohemian  and  Moravian  Baptists  were  then  divid- ' 
ed  into  two  classes,  the  one  consisted  of  Cavinist  Picards, 
and  resided  at  different  places  all  over  the  kingdom. 
Some  of  their  ministers  kept  school  ;  others  practised 
physic.  The  other  class  lived  all  together  in  Moravia, 
and  are  called  in  the  edict  by  the  new  German  name.  Ana- 
baptists. These  people  lived  in  forty-five  divisions,  called 
colleges  or  fraternities,  exactly  as  their  ancestors  had  done 
before  their  banishment  from  France,  about  four  hundred 
and  fifty  years  before  this  period.  Each  of  these  little 
corporations  consisted  of  many  families,  who  held  all  things 
common.  It  is  extreme!}'  difficult,  not  to  say  impossible, 
to  determine  the  number  of  the  inhabitants.  Carafa,  the 
Jesuit,  who  was  the  immediate  cause  of  their  banishment, 
mentions  the  least  number,  and  he  says  they  consisted  of 

VOL.    I.  21 


162        An  Edict  to  banish  the  Moraiiian  Baptists, 

more  than  twenty  thousand.  Others  say,  that  each  frater- 
nity contained  between  some  hundreds  and  a  thousand, 
and  thence  it  is  inferred  that  they  were  about  forty  thou- 
sand. Some  of  these  houses  carried  on  manufactories, 
others  were  factors  and  merchants,  and  others  were  em- 
ployed in  agriculture,  and  a  wine  trade.  All  were  busy, 
peaceable,  and  happy,  under  regulations  of  their  ow^n  mak- 
ing, having  none  of  that  class  of  mankind  among  them,  who 
live  on  the  vices  and  follies  of  their  fellow-creatures.  They 
were  no  burden  to  any  body  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  served 
and  enriched  the  community.  They  had  founded  liberty 
on  independence,  and  independence  on  industry. 

It  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  get  rid  of  these  Baptists. 
The  emperor's  chaplains,  who  were  privy  coimsellors,  talk- 
ed of  heresy  ;  but  it  was  difficult  to  bring  a  direct  charge 
against  a  people,  who  had  no  public  faith,  and  who  never 
attacked  any  religion  by  publishing  creeds.  They  could 
not  be  charged  with  perjury,  for  they  had  never  taken  any 
oaths,  and  one  of  their  maxims  was,  *■''  sivear  not  at  all.''^ 
Sedition  could  not  be  pretended,  for  they  never  bore  arms. 
They  could  not  be  awed  by  one  another,  for  they  had  no 
masters.  They  could  not  be  bribed,  for  they  had  no  ne- 
cessitous gentry.  Filled  with  that  unsuspicious  freedom, 
which  innocence  inspires,  they  had  not  one  patron  at  the 
imperial  court,  and  their  whole  expectation  was  placed  on 
the  superintending  providence  of  God.  Prince  Lichten- 
stein,  on  whose  domain  they  lived,  and  to  whom  they  paid 
rent,  and  many  other  noblemen,  endeavoured  to  save  these 
people,  on  account  of  the  benefits  which  they  derived  from 
them  ;  so  that  the  Jesuit,  who  effected  their  banishment, 
might  well  compliment  himself  for  surmounting  the  seem- 
ingly insuperable  difficulties.  "When  I  thought,"  says 
he,  *'  of  proscribing  the  Anabaptists  of  Moravia,  I  well 
knew  that  it  was  an  arduous  undertaking  ;  however,  by  the 
help  of  God,  I  surmounted  many  obstacles,  and  obtained 
an  edict  for  their  banishment,  though  it  was  against  the 
consent  of  some  princes  and  governors,  who  had  a  worldly 
interest  in  supportijig  these  profitable  rascals." 

Comenius  says  this  cruel  act  \Aas  coloured  with  a  pre- 
tence that  king  Frederick,  when  he  passed  through  Mora- 
via, visited  these  people,  and  was  hospitably  entertained 
by  them.     It  might  be  reported  so  at  the  time,  but  this  is 


The  Banished  allovjed  three  Weeks  and  three  Bays.     163 

aot  mentioned  in  the  edict.  The  truth  is,  government 
stood  in  no  fear  of  these  people,  and  they  were  banished 
first  only  by  the  way  of  trial.  It  w^as  intended  to  rid  all  the 
emperor's  dominions  of  all  denominations  except  Catho- 
licks,  who,  as  they  are  nursed  in  ig^iorance,  and  habituated 
to  an  implicit  confidence  in  their  priests,  are  the  only  sub- 
jects fit  for  despotical  governments  ;  but  Lutherans  and 
Calvinists  were  very  numerous,  and  powerfully  supported 
by  protestant  princes  in  the  empire,  and  it  was  not  time  to 
provoke  them  ;  but  the  expulsion  of  the  Anabaptists 
would  offend  no  body,  for  all  protestant  princes  had  been 
taught  by  their  priests  to  do  them  the  same  honour. 

Ferdinand  wrote  first  to  prince  Lichtenstein  and  cardi- 
nal Dietrichstein,  the  first  general  of  the  army  in  Moravia, 
and  the  last  governor  of  the  province,  to  inform  them  of 
his  design,  and  to  require  their  concurrence  on  pain  of  his 
displeasure.  Then  followed  the  edict,  in  which  his  majes- 
ty expresses  his  astonishment  at  the  number  of  the  Anabap- 
tists, and  his  horror  at  the  principal  error,  which  they  em- 
braced ;  which  was,  that  according  to  the  express  declara- 
tions of  holy  scripture,  they  were  to  submit  to  no  human 
authority.  He  adds,  that  his  conscience  compelled  him 
to  proscribe  them,  and  accordingly  he  did  banish  them, 
both  natives  and  foreigners  from  all  his  hereditary  and  im- 
perial dominions  on  pain  of  death.  The  Jesuits  contrived 
to  publish  this  edict  just  before  harvest  and  vintage  came 
©n  for  tvvo  reasons,  first,  that  the  neighbouring  gentry 
would  be  absent,  and  next,  that  the  people  might  not  carry 
away  the  produce  of  the  present  year.  They  allowed  them 
only  three  weeks  and  three  days  for  their  departure ;  it  was 
death  to  be  found  even  on  the  borders  of  the  country  be- 
yond the  expiration  of  the  hour. 

It  was  autumn,  the  prospect  and  the  pride  of  husband- 
men. Heaven  had  smiled  on  their  honest  labours,  their 
fields  stood  thick  with  corn,  and  the  sun  and  the  dew  were 
improving  every  movement  to  give  them  their  last  polish. 
The  yellow  ears  waved  an  homage  to  their  owners,  and 
the  wind,  whistling  through  the  stems  and  the  russet  herb- 
age, softly  said,  put  in  the  sickle^  the  hardest  Is  come.  Their 
luxuriant  vine-leaves  too  hung  aloft  by  the  tendrils 
mantling  over  the  clustering  grapes,  like  watchful  parents 
over  their  tender  offspring  ;    but  all  were  fenced  by  an  itn« 


164      They  depart  in  Carriages  to  different  Kingdoms. 

perial  edict,  and  it  was  instant  death  to  approach.  With- 
out leaving  one  murmur  upon  record,  in  solemn,  silent 
submission  to  the  power  that  governs  the  universe  and 
causes  all  things  to  ivork  together  for  good  to  his  creatures, 
they  plucked  up  and  departed.  In  several  hundred  car- 
riages they  conveyed  their  sick,  their  innocent  infants  suck- 
ing at  the  breasts  of  their  mothers,  who  had  newly  lain  in, 
and  their  decrepit  parents  whose  work  w^as  done,  and 
whose  sihery  locks  told  every  beholder  that  they  wanted 
only  the  favour  of  a  grave.  At  the  borders  they  filed  off, 
some  to  Hungary,  others  to  Transylvania,  some  to  Wal- 
iathia,  others  to  Poland  and  Saek-hel  ;  greater,  far  greater 
for  their  virtue,  than  Ferdinand  for  all  his  titles  and  for  all 
his  glory. 

The  Jesuit,  who  executed  this  business,  says,  ten  thou- 
sand staid  in  Moravia,  and  became  Catholicks.  That  num- 
bers eluded  the  search  of  their  persecutors,  and  remained 
in  the  country  is  evident  ;  but  it  is  not  so  clear  that  any 
conformed.  The  persecution  was  carried  on  for  seven 
successive  years  ;  and  as  persecution  drives  people  of  differ- 
ent sentiments  together,  probably  ihey  mixed  \a  ith  the  Cal- 
vinist  Baptists,  and  were  confounded  all  together  in  subse- 
quent edicts,  in^^hich  hereticks  of  all  descriptions,  Luther- 
ans, Calvinists,  Picards,  and  all  other  dissenters  were  con- 
founded together,  and  punished  with  unremitted  fury.  All 
the  following  edicts  are  full  of  complaints  that  hereticks  met 
for  divine  worship  in  woods,  mills,  lone  houses  and  castles, 
and  as  they  could  be  caught,  were  tried  for  both  rebellion 
and  heresy.  Many  suffered  and  probably  some  remained, 
for  in  time  the  Austrian  family  found  that  persecution  would 
absolutely  depopulate  and  destroy  the  country  ;  and  when 
their  power  was  well  established,  and  there  were  no  com- 
petitors, they  found  it  politic  to  lighten  the  people's  bur- 
dens ;  but  as  liberty  by  connivance  is  only  eligible  when 
no  better  can  be  had,  the  B.tptists  seem  to  have  quitted 
Bohemia  and  Moravia,  or  to  remain  only  in  some  feeble 
scattered  companies. 

To  recapitulate  the  histories  of  these  Baptists — Authen- 
tic records  in  France  assure  us,  that  a  people  of  a  certain 
description  u ere  dri\en  from  thence  in  the  twelfth  centurv. 
Bohemian  records  of  equal  authenticity  inform  us,  that 
some  of  the  same  description  arrived  in  Bohemia  at  the 


The  Character  of  the  Moramans.  165 

same  time,  and  settled  near  a  hundred  miles  from  Prague, 
at  Saiz  and  Laun,  on  the  river  Eger,  just  on  the  borders 
of  the  kingdom.  Almost  two  hundred  years  after,  another 
undoubted  record  of  the  same  country,  mentions  a  people 
of  the  same  description,  some  as  burnt  at  Prague,  and  oth- 
ers as  inhabiting  the  borders  of  the  kingdom,  and  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  after  that  we  find  a  people  of  the  same 
description,  settled  by  connivance  in  the  metropolis,  and 
in  several  other  parts  of  the  kingdom.  About  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years  lower,  we  find  a  people  in  the  same  coun- 
try, livic.g  under  the  protection  of  law,  on  the  estate  of 
prince  Lichtenstein  exactly  like  all  the  former,  and  about 
thirty  or  ibrty  thousand  in  number.  The  religious  char- 
acter of  this  people  is  so  very  difterent  from  that  of  all  oth- 
ers, that  the  likeness  is  not  ea-^ily  mistaken.  They  had  no 
priests,  but  taught  one  another.  They  had  no  private  prop- 
erty, for  they  held  all  things  jointly.  They  executed  no 
offices,  and  neither  exacted  nor  took  oaths.  They  bore  no 
arms,  and  rather  chose  to  suffer  than  resist  wrong.  They 
held  every  thing  called  religion  in  the  church  of  Rome  in 
abhorrence,  and  worshipped  God  only  by  adoring  his  per- 
fections, and  endeavouring  to  imitate  his  goodness.  They 
thought  that  Christianity  wanted  no  comment,  and  they 
professed  the  belief  of  that  by  being  baptized,  and  their  love 
to  C  hrist  and  one  another  by  receiving  the  Lord's  supper. 
They  aspired  at  neither  wealth  nor  power,  and  their  plan 
was  industry.  We  have  shewn  how  highly  probable  it  is 
that  Bohemia  afforded  them  work,  wages,  and  a  secure 
asylum,  v.hich  were -all  they  wanted.  If  these  be  facts, 
they  are  facts  that  do  honour  to  human  nature,  they  exhib- 
it, in  the  great  picture  of  the  world,  a  few  small  figures  in 
a  back  ground,  unstained  with  the  blood,  and  unruffled 
with  the  disputes  of  their  fellow  creatures.  It  was  their 
wisdom  in  their  times  not  to  come  forward  to  deliver  apol- 
ogies to  the  world  ;  and  creeds  with  flattering  prefaces  to 
princes,  the  turbulence  of  the  crowd  would  have  caused  the 
still  voice  of  reason  not  to  be  heard. 

Here  we  must  leave  these  persecuted  and  dispersed  breth- 
ren. We  know  but  little  of  what  became  of  them  in  other 
countries.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  as  the  fathers  died 
oft,  their  posterity,  by  degrees,  departedfrom  their  principles, 


166        A  Letter  written  from  Bohemia  to  Erasmus, 

until  they  became  absorbed,  in  the  great  mass  of  professors, 
with  which  they  were  surrounded. 

We  shall  close  this  article  v\  iih  a  part  of  a  famous  letter 
written  to  Erasmus  out  of  Bohemia,  in  1519.  This  letter 
describes  a  set  of  christians  then  in  that  country,  in  the 
following  manner  :  "  these  men  have  no  other  opinion  of 
the  pope,  cardinals,  bishops,  and  other  clergy,  than  as 
of  manifest  antichrists.  They  call  the  pope  sometimes  the 
beast,  and  sometimes  the  whore,  mentioned  in  the  Revela- 
tions. Their  own  bishops  and  priests,  they  themselves  do 
choose  for  themselves,  ignorant  and  unlearned  laymen, 
that  have  wife  and  children.  They  mutually  salute  one 
another  by  the  name  of  brother  and  sister.  They  own  no 
other  authority  than  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  Nevv^- 
Testament.  They  slight  all  the  doctors  both  ancient  and 
modern,  and  give  no  regard  to  their  doctrine.  Their  priests 
when  they  celebrate  the  offices  of  mass  (or  communion)  do 
it  without  any  priestly  garments  ;  nor  do  they  use  any 
prayer  or  collects  on  this  occasion,  but  only  the  Lord's 
prayer,  by  which  they  consecrate  bread  that  has  been  leav- 
ened. They  believe  or  own  little  or  nothing  of  the  sacra- 
ments of  the  church.  Such  as  come  over  to  their  sect, 
must  every  one  be  baptized  a?iew,  in  mere  ivater.  They 
make  no  blessing  of  salt,  nor  of  water  ;  nor  make  any  use 
of  consecrated  oil.  They  believe  nothing  of  divinity  in 
the  sacrament  of  the  eucharist,  only  that  the  consecrated 
bread  and  wine  do  by  some  occult  signs  represent  the 
death  of  Christ  ;  and,  accordingly,  that  all  that  do  kneel 
dow  n  to  it,  or  worship  it,  are  guilty  of  idolatry  :  That  that 
sacrament  was  instituted  by  Christ  to  no  other  purpose  but 
to  renew  the  memory  of  his  passion,  and  not  to  be  carried 
about  or  held  up  by  the  priests  to  be  gazed  on.  For  that 
Christ  himself,  who  is  to  be  adored  and  worshipped  with 
the  honour  of  Latreia,  sits  at  the  right  of  God,  as  the  chris- 
tian church  confesses  in  the  creed.  Prayers  to  saints,  and 
for  the  dead,  they  count  a  vain  and  ridiculous  thing  ;  as 
likewise  auricular  confession  and  penance  enjoined  by  the 
priest  for  sins.  Eves  and  fast-days  are,  they  say,  a  mock- 
ery and  the  disguise  of  hypocrites." 

*'  This  description,"  says  Crosby,  "  does  almost  in  eve^ 
ry  thing  fit  the  modern  Baptists,  especially  those  in  Eng- 
land.    Their  saluting  one  another  by  the  name  of  brother 


baptists  in  Poland. . . .  Waldenses  settle  in  Poland.      167 

and  sister  ;  their  choosing  their  own  ministers,  and  from 
among  the  laity  ;  their  rejecting  all  priestly  garments,  and 
refusing  to  kneel  at  the  sacrament  ;  their  slighting  all  au- 
thorities but  that  of  the  scriptures,  but  especially  their  bap- 
tizing again  all  that  embraced  their  way,  does  certainly 
give  the  B.iptists  a  better  right  than  any  other  protestants, 
to  claim  these  people  for  their  predecessors." 

POLAND. 

Mr.  Robinson  has  entered  largely  into  the  ecclesiastical 
history  of  Poland,  atid  has  brought  to  light  much  informa- 
tion respecting  the  Baptists  in  this  kingdom  ;  but  we  arc 
sorry  to  find  that  the  doctrinal  sentiments  of  many,  if  not 
the  most  of  them,  were  not  such  as  the  Baptists  generally 
approve. 

We  know  but  very  little  respecting  the  Polish  Baptists 
before  the  reformation.  Could  we  come  at  their  history 
we  should  doubtless  find  a  people  of  whose  doctrine  and 
practice  a  pleasing  account  might  be  given.  From  several 
historical  hints  it  is  evident  that  the  Waldenses  spread  in- 
to Poland,  not  long  after  they  settled  in  the  adjoining  king- 
dom of  Bohemia  ;  and  we  have  already  shown  that  where- 
ever  these  people  went,  they  carried  along  with  them  the 
principles  on  which  all  the  Baptist  churches  are  founded. 

Cardinal  Hosius,  who  was  a  Pole,  thought  it  a  kind  of 
miracle,  that  as  Bohemia  and  Moravia  were  so  near  Poland, 
and  the  language  the  same,  Poland  should  continue  unin- 
fected with  the  heresy  of  the  Waldenses,  for  one  hundred 
and  forty  years.  If  records  were  silent,  appearances  would 
be  very  much  against  such  a  miracle  ;  but  records  the 
most  authentic  assure  us  that  this  heresy  did  infect  Poland 
long  before  the  days  of  John  Huss,  and  much  more  after 
his  death. 

In  the  twelfth  centur}%  as  was  observed  in  the  history  of 
Bohemia,  some  Waldenses  settled  in  Satz  and  Laun,  and 
there  they  found  many  of  the  Greek  church,  who  associat- 
ed with  them,  and  whom,  as  they  were  well  skilled  in  the 
scriptures,  they  improved  in  religious  knowledge.  In  the 
fourteenth  century  the  Waldenses  of  Bjhemia  and  Poland 
sent  money  collected  among  themselves,  to  their  persecut- 
ed brethren  in  Lombardy.  In  later  times,  on  every  gust 
of  persecution,   they  stepped  out  of  one  kingdom  into  an- 


1G8  Reformation  in  Poland. 

other,  and  so  continued  to  do  until  the  reformation.  The 
vicinity  of  Poland  to  Moravia  and  Bcjhemia,  the  elec- 
tion of  two  of  the  reigning  family  of  Jagellon  in  Poland  to 
be  kings  of  Bohemia,  and  other  similar  events,  rendered 
such  a  migration  perfectly  easy." 

"  Formerly,  (says  bishop  Cromer)  the  heresy  of  Wick- 
liff  and  Huss  infected  Poland,  and  within  my  memory 
those  of  Berengarius,  Luther  and  Calvin,  found  their  way 
into  the  country  by  means  of  merchants  coming  hither, 
and  young  gentlemen  going  into  Germany  for  education, 
by  which  means  the  minds  of  many  were  infected,  and  now 
after  the  example  and  under  the  patronage  of  some  noble- 
men, we  abound  with  Picards,  Anabaptists,  Arians,  and 
hereticks  of  all  sorts  ;  and,  O,  what  lamentable  depravity  ! 
every  one  is  master  of  his  own  religion,  a  law  and  a  king 
to  himself,  and  thus  multitudes  pretend  liberty  and  become 
licentious." 

Thus  we  see  that  Poland  was  infected  with  heresies  of 
different  kinds,  long  before  the  reformation,  and  that  among 
the  hereticks  were  the  Waldenses,  Picards,  and  Anabap- 
tists ;  but  I  find  no  materials  from  which  their  history  can 
be  obtained. 

Popery  was  the  established  religion  of  Poland,  but  its 
bands  were  not  so  strong  here,  as  in  other  kingdoms ;  and 
as  the  Polanders  were  in  those  times  passionately  fond  of 
freedom,  it  is  highly  probable  that  the  Baptists  lived  open- 
ly in  many  places  by  connivance,  and  where  this  could 
not  be  done,  that  they  retired  to  the  forests  and  obscure 
retreats,  where  they  followed  their  own  regulations,  and 
maintained  the  purity  and  simplicity  of  their  principles. 
As  yet  the  tide  of  Socinianism  had  not  began  to  prevail  in 
this  northern  kingdom. 

During  the  long  reign  of  Sigismund,  who  governed 
Poland  forty-two  years,  the  German  reformers  poured  dis- 
ciples into  Poland  ;  and  Lutherans,  assisted  by  Bohemian 
brethren,  taught  with  so  much  success  that  popery  was  re- 
duced to  the  lowest  ebb.  Several  noblemen  became  their 
patrons,  and  the  senate  itself  was  filled  with  friends  to  ref- 
ormation. It  was  at  the  latter  end  of  this  reign,  that  the 
party  of  which  we  are  going  to  speak  was  formed  by  a 
Dutch  Baptist. 


Tricessius^s  Society. . . .  T/ie,  P'mckzomans.  169 

The  party  which  Mr.    Robinson   here  alludes  to  was 
formed  in  the  following  manner.     While  the  different  par- 
ties of  Catholicks,  Lutherans,  Calvinists,  and  the  Bohemian 
brethren,   were  each  disputing  in  defence  of  their  peculiar 
tenets,  John  Tricessius,   a  nobleman  of  Cracow,    uho  had 
devoted  himself  to  no  party,  collected  a  large   library  and 
formed  a  society  of  men  of  his  own  character,  who  pro- 
fessed to  pursue  an  unbiassed  course  in  search  of  truth. 
The  members  of  this  society  were  all  distinguished  either 
by  their  literary  merit,  their  sagacity,  or  their  rank  in  life. 
We  soon  find  among  them  a  Dutch  Baptist  minister,   who 
was  soon  after  excommunicated  from  his  own  church  for 
Arianism.     He  was  called  by   different   names,  by  some 
Rudolph  Martin,  by  others  Adam  Pastoris,  and  by  this  com- 
pany,   Spiritus.     Spiritus  started  some   objections  against 
the   doctrine  of  the  Trinitv.     His  artjjuments  were  at  first 
opposed  ;  but  it  appears  that  the  company  took  them  up  af- 
terwards,   and  followed  them  on  with  a  speculative  curios- 
ity, till  they  settled  down  on   x^rian  and  Unitarian  princi- 
ples.    Tricessius  continued   to  hold  religious  conferences 
at  his  house,  and  the  company  was  increased  by  new  mem- 
bers.    Others  of  the  nobility  followed   his  example,   and 
many  societies  of  this  kind    were   formed.       ^Ve  cannot 
trace  in  order  the  progress  of  these  societies,  but  it  is  suf- 
ficient to  observe  that  they  finally  centered  at  Pinckzow, 
and  were  hence  called  Pinckzovians.     Here  they  enjoyed 
the  patronage  of  prince  Nicholas  Olesnicki,  lord  of  Pinck- 
zow, by  wdiose  means  the  monks  were  expelled  out  of  a 
monastery,  which  was  converted  into  a  seminary  of  learned 
men.      From  this  period  the  Pinckzovians  uent  on  with 
great  success  ;    and  as  in   these  times   princes  and  great 
men  thought  it  necessary  to  attach  themselves  to  some  re- 
ligious party  or  other,   many  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
Pinckzovians,  and  thereby  emboldened  ihem  to  prosecute 
their  exertions.     Pinckzow  now   became  the  residence  of 
many  famous  men,  who  differed  widely  in  their  doctrinal 
speculations.     Some  were  engaged  in  writing  and  publish- 
ing their  sentiments,  and  others  in  travelling  and  preach- 
ing in  different  parts  of  the  country.      The  Pinckzovians 
were  at  first  an  assemblage  of  many   different  characters, 
among  whom  there  existed  a  great  variety  of  opinions  on 
doctrinal  points.     Most  of  them  were  natives  of  Poland^ 
VOL.  I.  22 


170  A  Dust  at  Pinckzow, 

but  many  among  them  had  fled  hither  from  other  European 
kingdoms,  to  escape  the  persecuting  hands  of  their  ene- 
mies, and  find  an  asylum  where  they  might  enjoy  and  pro- 
pagate their  opinions.  Some  beheved  more  and  others 
less  of  the  fundamental  points  of  the  christian  system. 
The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  and  the  divinity  of  the  Saviour 
were  maintained  by  some,  denied  by  others,  and  doubted 
by  the  rest ;  but  infant  baptism  was  denied  by  all.  The 
whole  body  was  of  course  honoured  with  the  title  of  Ana- 
baptists. But  this  term  was  used  in  as  vague  a  sense  in 
Poland  as  in  Germany.  The  Pinckzovians  were,  properly 
speaking,  ANTi-pedobaptists,  but  they  were  not  all  Bap- 
tists. They  agreed  to  reject  infant  baptism,  as  a  popish 
tradition  ;  but  they  were,  as  a  body  at  first,  far  from  having 
clear  and  consistent  views  of  this  ordinance.  The  doc- 
trine of  believer's  baptism  by  immersion  seemed  however 
generally  to  prevail ;  but  it  was  sometime  before  any  of 
them  reduced  it  to  practice.  These  people  adopted  good 
maxims  with  regard  to  religious  freedom,  but  they  acted 
absurdly  when  they  attempted  to  unite  in  one  church  such 
a  discordant  assemblage  of  religious  opinions.  Their  dis- 
cussions were  often  warm  and  pointed,  and  are  thus  hu- 
morously described  by  their  Catholick  opposers.  "  Good 
heavens  !'^  said  they,  "what  a  racket  was  there  at  Pinck- 
zow !  The  question  was  put,  was  Poland  to  be  reformed 
by  rules  taken  from  the  fathers,  or  from  Saxony,  or  from 
Geneva,  or  from  the  simple  scripture  ?  One  pulled  out 
his  creed,  and  another  his  list ;  but  the  vote  was  carried 
for  reforming  by  the  simple  word  of  God.  Then  the  tabic 
being  cleared,  forth  came  the  Bible,  and  that  was  to  be  the 
standard.  Then  a  dust  was  stirred  up  about  what  the  Bi- 
ble had  to  say.  One  cried,  it  says  there  are  three  Gods. 
No  such  thing,  replied  another,  it  says  there  is  but  one 
God.  Then  down  they  went  to  the  very  foundations,  and 
free-will,  and  justification,  and  faith,  and  works,  and  sacra- 
ments, and  every  article  of  the  church,  was  overhauled. 
This  comes  of  casting  off  the  sovereign  pontiff.  Good 
heavens  !  what  a  dust  was  there  at  Pinckzow  1"* 

These  people  met  often  in  assemblies,  which  they  call- 
ed synods,  in  which  subjects  of  importance  were  discuss- 
ed,  and  plans  of  proceeding  agreed  upon.     They  some- 

•  Robinson's  Researches,  p.  S77. 


speech  against  Infant  Baptism.  171 

times  met  by  themselves,  and  at  other  times  in  conjunction 
with  the  other  bodies  of  Protestants  in  Poland.  In  a  sy- 
nod held  at  Brest  in  Lithuania  in  1568,  two  very  able 
speeches  were  delivered  against  infant  baptism,  the  first  by- 
Peter  Goniadzki,  commonly  Gonesius,  and  the  other  by 
Jerom  Piescarski.  The  latter  "  affirmed  that  infant  bap- 
tism had  no  place  in  scripture ;  that  in  the  two  first  centu- 
ries it  was  not  mentioned  ;  that  it  rose  in  Africa  in  the  third 
century,  and  was  opposed  by  TertuUian  ;  that  the  first  ca- 
nons to  enjoin  it  were  made  at  a  council  at  Mela,  in  Africa, 
in  the  year  418 ;  that  infant  communion  came  in  at  the  same 
time  ;  that  before  this  people  were  put  into  the  state  of 
catechumens,  and  instructed  in  the  christian  faith,  that  then 
they  were  examined  concerning  their  faith,  and  on  con- 
fessing it  were  baptized  by  immersion  ;  that  in  the  fourth 
and  fifth  centuries,  while  the  papal  power  continued  feeble 
though  increasing,  the  children  of  believers,  even  those  of 
bishops,  were  not  baptized  till  they  were  adults,  and  some, 
as  Ambrose,  not  till  they  had  been  elected,  and  were  go- 
ing to  accept  the  office  of  bishops,  and  that  some  deferred 
it  till  they  were  just  ready  to  die."  He  concluded  by  say- 
ing, "  Why  then,  brethren,  do  you  rise  up  against  me  for 
rejecting  this  relick  of  popery  ?  Why  do  you  impose  si- 
lence on  me  under  such  severe  injunctions  in  regard  to  a 
subject,  which  deserves  a  fair  and  full  hearing  ?  Is  this  the 
forbearance,  the  love,  the  liberty  of  christians  ?  Shall  I, 
\\  horn  conscience  compels  to  teach  the  truth,  be  silent  ? 
Rather  let  me  seriously  exhort  and  beseech  you  to  cast 
out  every  thing  that  popery  hath  brought  into  the  church, 
and  to  cleanse  the  house  of  God  from  all  fragments  of  pa- 
pal rubbish.  For  my  part  I  most  sincerely  pray,  that  the 
God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  may  instruct, 
replenish  and  establish  you  by  his  Holy  Spirit.'*  These 
declarations  produced  a  great  deal  of  reading,  conversing, 
and  disputing,  both  in  public  and  private,  and  a  great 
number  of  converts  of  all  ranks  to  believer's  baptism.  It 
is  difficult  to  say,  and  not  very  material,  who  of  these  Po- 
landers  first  administered  baptism  by  immersion.  Some 
say,  that  Matthias  Albinus,  minister  of  Ivanowitz,  who  was 
a  Trinitarian,  and  continued  so  till  his  death.  Otht  rs  say, 
Stanislaus  Paclesius,  who  was  pastor  of  an  Arian  church, 
at  Lublin,  under  the  patronage  of  the  palatine  Tenckzynski, 


172  Piiickzo'oians  flourish^ 

where  he  died  in  sixty-five.  In  the  province  of  Ciijavia, 
Martin  Czechovicius  was  a  warm  advocate  for  it,  and  pub- 
lished, first  in  Polish  and  afterward  in  Latin,  an  admira- 
ble treatise,  concerning  the  origin  of  the  envrs  of  the  Pedo- 
baptists,  &:c. 

The  doctrine  of  the  Pinckzovians  was  spreading  far  and 
wide,  and  a  great  number  of  people  of  all  ranks  declared 
for  it.  Magistrates,  noblemen,  knights,  governors,  pala- 
tines, officers  of  the  crown,  ministers,  rectors  of  schools  of 
great  and  little  Poland,  Lithuania,  Russia,  Podolia,  Vol- 
hiiiia,  Prussia,  Silesia,  and  Transylvania,  openly  professed 
their  beliei  of  it. 

There  were  at  this  time  three  large  parties  of  protestants 
in  Poland,  beside  the  Pinckzovians.  There  were  Calvin- 
ists,  Lutherans,  and  the  Bohemian  Brethren.  The  Pinck- 
zovians were  denominated  Arians  and  Anabaptists,  and 
were  the  common  objects  of  aversion  to  all  parties,  particu- 
larly the  Catholicks,  Calvinists,  and  Lutherans,  who,  forget- 
ting their  ow  n  dissensions,  united  their  endeavours  to  sup- 
press and  extirpate  them,  and  they  at  length  in  part  effect- 
ed their  purpose. 

The  Pinckzovians  had  hitherto  gone  on  with  great  suc- 
cess, their  converts  were  many  and  respectable,  their  pat- 
rons were  also  numerous  and  great,  but  the  patronage  of 
the  great  is  as  uncertain  as  the  weather,  and  variable  as 
the  wind.  These  people  as  yet  had  no  settled  plan  of  pro- 
cedure, their  doctrinal  notions  were  vague  and  fluctuating, 
and  many  of  them  were  intermixed  among  all  the  other  de- 
nominations of  protestants.  But  at  length  they  were  driv- 
en to  a  separation  from  them,  and  the  Catholicks  and  Cal- 
vinists obtained  a  royal  edict  to  drive  them  from  the  king- 
dom. "  The  king  was  obliged  to  yield  to  the  torrent,  and 
he  issued,  at  the  request  of  the  Catholick  lords  and  Calvin- 
ist  ministers,  who  were  then  holding  a  synod  with  the 
Lutherans  at  Lublin,  an  edict  to  banish  all  foreign  Arians 
and  Anabaptists,  and  to  suppress  domestic  heresy  and 
blasi)hcmy  upon  pain  of  death.  Foreigners  quitted  the 
kingdom  ;  but  such  was  the  constitution  of  Poland,  so  lit- 
tle do  the  great  lords  in  such  an  aristocracy  regard  laws, 
and  so  powerful  were  the  patrons  of  the  Arians,  that  though 
they  retired  as  if  they  paid  some  respect  to  authority,  yet 
they  met,  held  synods  among  themselves,  and  having  been 


The  Racomans.  173 

driven  from  all  other  parties,  formed  the  first  churches  in 
these  troublous  times.  It  was  about  this  time  they  began 
to  read  and  study  the  writings  of  the  late  Laelius  Socinus, 
who  had  died  at  Zurich  in  1562,  in  the  37th  year  of  his 
age,  and  had  left  some  of  his  papers  in  Poland.  Pauli  re- 
tired from  Cracow,  some  patrons  expelled  their  ministers, 
others  resigned,  and  several  kept  close  at  home,  for  they 
feared  the  fate  of  Servetus.  Aibinus,  the  Trinitarian  Bap- 
list  minister,  sheltered  many,  and  Olesnicki  and  Philipow- 
ski  more. 

The  Pinckzovian  confederation  was  thus  broken  up  and 
scattered,  many  of  their  members  left  the  kingdom,  but 
most  of  them  remained  in  a  dispersed  condition,  until  they 
were  again  collected  at  Racow,  under  the  patronage  of  the 
palatine  John  Sieninski.  Here  they  were  called  Racovians, 
and  flourished  much  for  a  time  ;  but  at  length  an  unlucky 
event  exposed  them  to  censure,  banishment,  and  ruin. 
Mosheim  appears  to  have  made  no  distinction  between  the 
Pinckzovians  and  Racovians;  one  would  think  by  his  ac- 
count that  they  were  both  the  same  people,  under  other 
circumstances  and  different  names.  But  Mr.  Robinson 
has  unravelled  this  part  of  the  history  of  the  Anabaptists 
in  Poland,  and  has  shown  that  while  they  were  called 
Pinckzovians,  their  notions  of  church  discipline  were  pe- 
culiarly vague  and  incorrect.  Many  of  their  ministers 
were  put  into  livintjs  by  lordly  patrons,  who  had  them  at 
their  disposal.  Their  churches  were  built  in  some  meas- 
ure after  the  old  popish  model,  which  the  other  protestants 
had  adopted  ;  and  both  ministers  and  churches  were  under 
masters  whose  patronage  often  involved  them  in  snares 
and  distress.  They  were  all  opposed  to  infant  baptism, 
but  as  yet  few  of  their  ministers  or  members  had  been 
baptized. 

"Happy  for  these  people,"  says  Robinson,  "all  parties 
agreed  to  detest  and  expel  them  ;  for  then  they  formed  a 
new  church  without  a  master,  and  agreed  that  each  should 
be  the  lord  of  hjs  own  conscience.  This  event  took  place 
after  the  dispersion  of  the  Pinckzovian  confederacy.  It 
is  supposed  that  the  famous  Baptist,  Ronemberg,  received 
his  ideas  of  founding  independent  churches  of  baptized  be- 
lievers, on  his  journey  to  Moravia,  by  conversing  with  the 
Baptists   there.      It  is  evident   that    by  his  advice  an^ 


1 74     Independent  Churches  formed  of  baptized  Believers. 

persuasion,  a  few  professed  their  faith  and  repentance, 
Mere  baptized  by  immersion,  and  formed  themselves  into 
a  regular  independent  church.  The  trial  succeeded,  the 
scattered  flock  repaired  to  fold,  they  increased  every  day, 
and  multiplied  so  amazingly  in  a  few  years,  that  all  parties 
found  they  must  be  allowed  the  rights  of  citizens,  and  put 
under  the  protection  of  clear  explicit  law.  Their  great 
men  were  innumerable,  they  had  power,  and  they  would 
be  heard.  They  formed  flourishing  congregations  at  Cra- 
cow, Lublin,  Pinckzow,  Lucclaw,  Smigla,  Racow,  and 
other  places,  where  they  lived  in  as  much  peace  as  they 
could  wish. 

Not  long  after  this,  these  people  formed  an  establish- 
ment at  Racow  in  the  following  manner:  "  The  family  of 
the  palatine  Sieninski,  nearly  related  to  Olesnicki,  had  al- 
ways favoured  the  Baptists.  The  palatine,  John  Sieninski, 
who  was  a  Lutheran,  sometimes  heard  their  sermons,  and 
was  once  extremely  affected  under  a  discourse  preached  by 
one  of  their  plain  popular  teachers,  John  Securinius.  Be- 
ing asked,  what  he  thought  of  the  sermon  ?  he  said,  we 
shall  certainly  perish,  unless  we  live  as  the  pious  man  hath 
been  teaching  us.  The  lady  of  this  palatine  was  a  mem- 
ber of  a  Bajitist  church.  About  the  year  1569,  he  had 
founded  a  town  in  the  palatinate  of  Sendomir,  about  one 
mile  from  Sidlow,  and  in  compliment  to  his  lady  had 
named  it  Racow.  In  this  pleasant  spot  he  had  allured,  by 
granting  many  privileges,  various  classes  of  foreigners  and 
natives  to  settle.  Among  the  rest  Securinius,  Schoman, 
and  the  Baptist  church  of  Cracow  came  and  settled  here, 
and  lived  happy  and  easy  under  the  patronage  of  their  lord. 
This  induced  more  to  come,  and  Racow  became  a  sort  of 
Baptist  town,  where  the  principal  men  resided,  taught,  and 
held  synods.  After  the  decease  of  the  patron,  his  son 
James  Sieninski,  palatine  of  Poclolia,  then  in  the  thirty 
second  year  of  his  age,  having  entertained  some  doubts  of 
the  Lutheran  religion,  desired  a  conference  to  be  held  be- 
tween them  and  the  Baptists.  They  complied.  After  he 
had  heard  the  arguments  of  both  parties,  he  thought  rea- 
son was  on  the  side  of  the  latter,  and  following  his  own 
convictions  he  joined  the  church.  This  was  a  great  ac- 
cession of  honour,  and  wealth,  and  power  to  the  Racovians, 
(for  so  now  we  must  call  them)  and,  though  the  patron's 


Soc'mius  an  Antlpedobaptist^  but  not  a  Baptist.       175 

munificence  continued  as  long  as  his  life,  very  much  to 
the  credit  of  both  him  and  them,  there  is  no  instance,  with 
all  their  heresy,  of  their  employing  power  to  oppress  con- 
science. They  seem  to  have  adopted  an  opinion,  which 
a  son  of  peace  in  Germany  long  after  expressed  aptly 
enough  by  saying,  "  of  all  heresies  in  the  world,  the  most 
dangerous  are  a  man's  own  depraved  passions." 

The  Racovians  flourished  much  for  a  time.  Many  fa- 
mous characters  resorted  hither  from  different  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  and  some  by  their  wealth,  and  others  by  their 
abilities,  contributed  to  aid  the  progress  of  this  new  es- 
tablishment. Their  patrons  founded  a  school  for  them, 
and  provided  them  with  a  printing  office.  The  school 
was  thronged  with  pupils  from  different  parts  of  the  king- 
dom. The  press  was  employed  in  printing  the  works  of 
their  learned  men  ;  and  here  I  conclude  was  published 
that  famous  work  in  six  volumes  folio,  Ciititled  Fratres 
Poloni,  or  the  works  of  the  Polish  Brethren,  which  is  in 
the  library  of  B.  own  University  at  Providence. 

Thus  out  of  the  Pinckzovian  party  originated  a  new  set 
of  churches,  which  were  more  decidedly  of  a  Baptist  char- 
acter. They  were  called  by  the  different  names  of  Arians, 
Anabaptists,  Racovians,  and  finally,  Socinians.  These 
churches  were  at  first  composed  wholly  of  baptized  believ- 
ers, but  some  of  them  in  a  short  time  adopted  open  commu- 
nion, and  particularly  the  one  at  Racow.  This  revolution  is 
said  to  have  been  brought  about  by  the  younger  Socinius, 
who  also  led  the  Polish  Baptists  farther  into  doctrinal  errors. 
For  himself  he  was  an  Antipedobaptist,  but  not  a  Baptist, 
He  rejected  infant  baptism  as  a  manifest  error,  but  he  was 
never  baptized,  nor  did  he  think  baptism  a  scriptural  ordi- 
nance ;  but  if  it  were  to  be  administered  at  all,  it  was  to 
those  who  were  converted  from  other  religions  to  the 
christian.  It  is  strange  indeed  that  the  Baptists  should 
listen  to  such  a  teacher  ;  but  so  it  was,  that  by  the  supe- 
riority of  his  genius  and  address,  he  became  the  oracle  of 
the  Polish  Baptists,  and  in  time  brought  the  greatest  part 
of  them  to  embrace  his  doctrinal  sentiments,  and  from  him 
they  acquired  the  name  of  Socinians. 

While  the  Racovians  were  going  on  with  great  pros- 
perity, and  the  Baptists  increasing  in  different  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  an  unexpected  event  blasted  all  their  prospects. 


176  77;  t'  Baptists  banished  from  Racow, 

and  Involved  the  whole  commuDity  in  a  scene  of  the  deep- 
est distress.  In  the  year  1638,  some  students  of  the 
academy  at  Racow  very  rashly  and  improperly  vented  their 
aversion  to  popery  by  throwing  stones  at  a  wooden  cruci- 
fix, that  stood  out  ot"  town,  till  they  had  beaten  it  out  of 
its  place.  A '  complaint  was  lodged  not  against  the  of- 
fenders, as  in  a  well  regulated  state,  but  against  the  relig* 
ion  which  their  tutors  professed.  The  palatine,  who  was 
president  of  the  academy,  cleared  himself  by  oath,  but 
neither  that,  nor  his  services  to  the  state,  nor  his  age,  (he 
was  near  seventy)  nor  any  other  consideration  could  pre- 
vail with  the  diet  at  Warsaw,  which  was  now  a  mere  fac- 
tion, to  admit  of  any  excuse,  or  accept  any  amends.  It 
was  proved  to  be  a  mere  freak  of  boys,  without  the  knowl- 
edge of  their  tutors,  and  for  which  they  had  been  correct- 
ed by  their  parents.  Several  of  equestrian  rank  of  all  de- 
nominations protested  against  their  arbitrary  proceedhigs  ; 
but  all  in  vain.  The  powerful  party  enacted,  that  the  Ra- 
covian  academy  should  be  destroyed,  the  professors  ban- 
ished, tlie  printing  office  demohshed,  and  the  places  of 
worship  shut  up.  All  these  decrees  were  executed  with- 
out any  alleviating  circumstances,  and  the  afflicted  pala- 
tine, whom  the  senate  had  often  honoured  with  the  title  of 
father  of  his  country,  saw  his  city  vanish  like  a  dream, 
and  the  labour  and  pleasure  of  his  whole  life  blasted  by 
one  order  of  this  relentless  despotism.  He  survived  the 
cruel  act  only  one  year. 

For  twenty  years  succeeding  this  event,  Mr.  Robinson 
informs  us,  pei'secution  was  carried  on  with  unrelenting 
severity  against  the  B  iptists  in  different  parts  of  Poland, 
and  dreadful  havock  was  made  with  these  obnoxious  peo- 
ple. The  Cossacks  invaded  the  kingdom,  and  the  Bap- 
tists were  the  first  to  be  plundered  by  the  consent  of  all 
parties.  Next  they  were  terribly  harassed  by  an  army  of 
SvA edes.  The  Catholicks  were  hearty  in  promoting  their 
destruction,  and  the  Lutherans  and  Calvinists,  who  might 
have  prevented  their  sufferings,  had  no  small  share  in  help- 
ing them  forward.  But  they  did  not  foresee  that  they 
were  preparing  chains  for  themsehes,  for  they,  in  process 
of  time,  were  also  expelled  from  Poland.  Civil  liberty 
halted  only  a  little  while,  for  the  kingdom  was  dismem- 
bered, and  the  Poles  enslaved  by  their  powerful  neighbours. 


Recapitulation  ofth  e  History  of  Polish  Baptists.      177 

Among  the  patrons  and  members  of  the  Baptist  church- 
es were  several  palatines  and  vice-palaiines,  castellans  and 
their  inferior  officers,  judges  and  practitioners  in  ihe  law, 
members  of  the  lower  house  in  the  diet,  officers  of  the 
crown  and  o;entlemen  of  the  army,  lords  of  manors,  physi- 
cians, citizens,  merchants,  tradesmen,  and  people  of  all 
ranks.  The  rusticks  were  bound  to  the  soil,  and  no  more 
notice  was  taken  of  them  than  of  the  salt-mines,  or  the  for- 
ests, for  they  were  all  alike  real  immovable  property.  Of 
the  rest  some  staid  and  worshipped  God  in  private  ;  oth- 
ers strained  a  point  and  fell  into  the  other  reformed  con- 
gregations. Numbers  fled,  some  found  an  asylum  in 
Transylvania,  Silesia,  Brandenburg,  Prussia,  and  the  ad- 
jacent places,  others  ot  them  lurked  in  Holland,  England, 
Denmark,  and  Holstein.  The  king  of  Denmark  would 
have  granted  them  a  settlement  in  his  dominions,  and  so 
would  some  other  princes,  but  all  their  humane  endeav- 
ours were  frustrated  by  the  Catholick  prelates  of  every 
state.  They  were  therefore  dispersed  all  over  Europe, 
and  the  Baptist  and  Arminiau  churches  of  the  United 
Provinces  received  many  of  them  into  ^heir  bosom. 

To  recapitulate  the  history  of  the  B  iptists  in  Poland. 
We  find  that  the  Waldenses  spread  into  this  kingdom  not 
long  after  they  settled  in  Bohemia,  which  was  more  than 
three  hundred  years  before  the  rise  of  Luther  and  Calvin. 
We  have  no  account  of  their  proceedings,  but  we  may  safe- 
ly conclude  that  they  carried  B  .ptist  sentiments  along 
with  them;  A  long  time  after  this  a  Catholick  bishop  com- 
plains, that  the  Anabaptists  among  other  sects  abounded 
in  Poland.  While  the  reformation  was  going  on  in  Ger- 
many and  Switzerland,  and  other  European  kingdoms, 
Poland  was  infected  with  its  principles.  Infant  baptism 
was  doubted  at  first  by  some  of  the  followers  both  of  Lu- 
ther and  Calvin  ;  but  as  these  two  distinguished  champ- 
ions took  a  decided  stand  in  its  favour,  all  inquiries  upon 
the  subject  were  hushed  within  the  circles  of  their  immedi- 
ate influence  ;  and  they,  instead  of  reforming  the  article  of 
baptism,  carried  it  farther  from  its  original  mode  than  the 
papists  had  done  ;  for  they  had  continued  to  dip,  except 
in  cases  of  necessity  ;  but  the  reformers  left  off  dipping 
altogether,  and  first  enjoined  pouring  and  then  sprinkling. 
But  among  many  of  the  reformers  in  Poland,  infant  bap- 
voL.  I.  23 


1 78    Infant  Bap.  opposed  in  PolaJid. . . .  Baptism  defined. 

tism  underwent  a  very  fair  and  able  discussion,  and  vvas 
by  them  rejected  as  a  relick  of  popery.  These  people  are 
very  properly  described  by  the  term  Antipedobaptists,  that 
is,  opposers  of  infant  baptism,  for  we  have  no  account  that 
many  of  them  went  any  farther.  But  they  were  generally 
denominated  by  their  enemies,  Anabaptists.  They,  it  is 
true,  countenanced  some  of  the  Anabaptistical  errors,  but 
we  have  reason  to  believe  that  multitudes  of  them  lived 
ard  died  without  any  other  baptism,  than  that  which  they 
received  in  their  infancy  in  the  church  of  Rome.  Many 
of  these  opposers  of  infant  baptism,  were  distinguished  by 
their  learning,  wealth,  and  princely  titles,  and  we  have  no 
reason  to  believe  that  they  were  generally  acquainted  with 
the  principles  of  vital  piety.  Believer's  baptism  by  im- 
mersion is  always  a  cross-bearing  duty,  and  this  was  prob- 
ably the  reason,  why  no  more  of  them  submitted  to  it. 
Their  notions  of  baptism  were  in  the  main  clear  and  con- 
sistent, but  their  practice  was  defective.  I  know  not,  how- 
ever, but  as  many  submitted  to  the  ordinance  as  were  fit 
subjects  for  it. 

In  a  catechism  or  confession  of  faith  published  at  Cra- 
cow in  1574,  which  is  said  to  have  been  drawn  up  by  a 
Baptist  minister,  by  the  name  of  George  Schoman,  the  arti- 
cle of  baptism  is  very  \\ell  defined.  "  Baptism,^"*  says  this 
catechism,  *'i5  the  immersion  into  ivater  and  emersion  of 
one  ivho  belie'ues  in  the  gospel,  and  is  truly  penitent^  per- 
formed in  the  name  of  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  or  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  alone, '''^'^ 

Infant  baptism  is  \\ell  fitted  for  a  church  composed  of 
different  materials,  dead  and  alive,  for  it  is  administered  to 
those  who  know  nothing  of  the  matter.  But  Believer's 
baptism  will  not  do  for  such  churches,  and  where\  er  it  has 
been  adopted  it  has  produced  embarrassment  at  first,  and 
division  in  the  end.  And  so  it  happened  with  the  people 
of  whom  we  are  speaking.  And  the  genuine  Baptists 
among  them  doubtless  often  found  themselves  involved  in 
much  perplexity.  Had  they  sought  instruction  of  the  old 
Waldenses,  many  of  \\hom  we  have  reason  to  suppose 
maintained  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel  in  their  obscure  re- 
treats, they  might  have  been  set  right  at  once.  But  they 
Mere  ambitious  of  worldly  honour,  they  found  themselves 

*  Mosheim,  vol.  iv.  p.  491, 


Baptists  adopt  open  Commiinion..,, Bible  News,       179 

associated  with  great  men,  and  protected  by  noble  patrons, 
who  thwarted  their  principles  and  led  them  astray.  But 
as  tempests  dispel  the  fogs  and  clear  the  atmosphere,  so 
the  di,^persion  of  the  Pinckzovian  party,  opened  the  way  for 
their  founding  independent  churches  of  those  who  had 
been  baptized  on  a  profession  of  their  faith.  For  a  while  the 
B  :ptists  in  Poland  appear  to  have  stood  right  as  it  respect- 
ed the  discipline  of  iheir  churches,  but  before  long  they 
plunged  into  the  inconsistent  and  embarrassing  practice  of 
open  communion,  and  admitted  into  their  churches  Pedo- 
baptists,  and  those  who  held  that  baptism  was  not  a  per- 
petual ordinance.  They  had  before  adopted  some  funda- 
mental errors  in  doctrine,  and  although  they  enjoyed  world- 
ly prosperity  for  a  time,  yet  at  length  a  terrible  gUbt  of 
persecution  blasted  all  their  prospects,  and  overwhelmed 
them  with  distress  and  ruin. 

Hitherto  we  have  said  but  little  respecting  the  doctrinal 
sentiments  of  the  Polish  Baptists,  and  I  am  sorry  that  a 
more  pleasing  account  of  them  cannot  be  given.  They 
styled  themselves  Unitarians,  and  were  first  of  an  Arian  and 
afterwards  of  a  Socinian  cast.  When  they  first  began  to 
tamper  with  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  and  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  their  notions  were  vague  and  fluctuating.  They 
gave  an  exalted  character  to  the  Son  of  God,  and  did  not 
entirely  divest  him  of  his  divinity,  and  they  also  defended 
a  kind  of  trinity  for  several  years.  They  were  unwilling  to 
admit  the  proper  deity  of  the  Saviour,  and  yet  they  knew 
not  how  to  get  over  some  of  the  strong  expressions  of 
scripture  wdiich  advance  it,  and  some  of  them  professed  to 
adore  and  invoke  him.  There  is  a  woik,  published  not 
long  since  in  New-England,  by  a  Pedobaptist  divine,  en- 
titled Bible  News,  which  I  am  sorry  to  find  is  well  received 
by  some  of  our  Baptist  ministers.  The  author  of  this  work 
professes  to  hold  to  the  divinity  of  Christ,  but  adopts  a 
new  method  of  explaining  that  sublime  and  important  sub- 
ject. I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  Baptists  in  Poland,  in 
the  beginning  of  their  speculations,  had  not  arrived  much 
farther  in  their  descent  towards  Socinianism,  than  those 
Baptists  in  America,  who  have  adopted  the  Bible  News 
above  mentioned.  But  they  went  down  one  step  after 
another,  until  they  landed  in  the  Socinian  system,  so  fatal 
to  every  thing   pertaining  to  Christianity  but  the  name. 


180     Socinian  System  formed.  ..^Objections  against  it. 

Lelius  Socimis  came  first  into  Poland,  where  it  is  suppos- 
ed he  sou  ed  the  seeds  of  Socinianism  about  the  middle  of 
the  sixteenth  century.  After  tarrying  here  awhile,  he  went 
to  Zurich,  where  he  died  in  1562.  He  had  acquired  no 
determinate  plan  of  doctrine,  but  Fausuis  Socinus,  his 
nephew,  came  into  Poland  in  1579,  and  from  the  papers 
which  his  uncle  left  behind  him,  is  supposed  to  have  drawn 
the  system  which  now  bears  the  name  of  Socinian. 

This  man  uas  bold  and  assiduous  in  the  propagation  of 
his  sentiments  ;  he  went  among  the  Baptists  and  other 
Polish  dissenters,  who  were  inclined  to  Arian  and  Unita- 
rian principles,  and  multitudes  became  his  admirers  and 
followers.  The  leading  Baptist  ministers  were  too  well 
prepared  to  embrace  his  dangerous  errors,  and  of  course 
were  the  more  easily  converted  ;  and  by  their  influence, 
and  the  insinuating  address  of  Socinus,  the  churches  one 
after  another,  v.  ere  \a  on  over  to  his  sentiments,  and  adopt- 
ed his  creed.  But  it  must  be  observed,  that  we  have  hither- 
to spoken  only  of  the  leading  men  among  the  Polish  Baptists. 
The  great  mass  of  professors  in  the  churches  were  alto- 
gether illiterate,  and  could  not  of  course  understand  the 
subtle  arguments,  by  which  Socinianism  is  supported. 
We  have  no  account  at  all  of  them,  nor  are  wt-  informed 
what  they  said  and  thought  of  those  chilling  doctrines, 
which  dibrobed  their  Saviour  of  his  peculiar  attributes,  and 
reduced  him  to  a  level  uith  mortals.  Robinson,  who 
seems  generally  well  enough  pleased  with  the  doctrine  of 
Socinus,  acknowledges  that  Socinianism  consists  in  refined 
reasonings  beyond  the  abilities  of  great  numbers  who  join- 
ed the  Baptist  churches  in  Poland,  and  that  it  is  therefore 
unlikely  that  they  understood  or  embraced  the  sentiments, 
which  were  adopted  by  their  leaders.  This  is  an  injpor- 
tant  concession,  and  one  would  think  must  be  an  insuper-r 
able  objection  in  the  mind  of  every  candid  man,  against 
the  Socinian  system.  The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  de- 
signed for  the  ignorant  as  well  as  the  wise.  The  way 
faring  man  though  a  fool  shall  not  err  in  the  gospel  path. 
That  system  of  doctrine  therefore  \\  hich  none  but  men  of 
philosophical  acuteness  can  comprehend,  I  think  we  may 
safely  conclude  is  not  of  divine  origin,  but  an  invention  pf 
speculative  and  unhumbled  men. 


The  Baptists  in  Transyhania.  181 

Transylvania. 

The  principles  of  the  reformation  were  first  introduced 
into  this  little  State,  which  as  its  name  imports,  lies  beyoud 
the  woods  or  forests  on  towards  the  rarkisa  dominions,  by 
a  Lutheran  minister,  who  u-as  chaplain  to  the  prince  of 
the  country.  He  was  succeeded  in  the  chaplainship  by 
Francis  Davidis,  a  se\enth-day  Baptist  minister,  who 
qfterwards  became  superintendant  of  the  Baptist  churclies 
in  Transylvania.  We  have  seen  in  the  account  of  the 
Moravian  B  iptists,  that  in  the  time  of  their  banishments, 
some  weiu  into  Transylvania,  and  it  is  highly  probable 
that  many  of  them  were  scattered  in  this  country  long  be- 
fore the  times  of  which  we  are  speaking. 

Both  Baptist  and  Unitarian  [  rinciples  appear  to  have 
been  carried  into  Transylvan.ia  from  Poland.  In  1563, 
George  Blandratta,  a  celebrated  phvsician,  was  invited  mto 
Transylvania  by  Sigismund,  at  that  time  sovereign  or  tne 
country,  in  order  to  the  restoration  of  his  health.  Davidis, 
whose  name  has  already  been  mentioned,  acconipanicd 
him  in  his  removal.* 

Mosheim  calls  these  men  Socinians,  but  gives  us  no  in- 
formation respectiiig  their  sentiments  in  otlier  respects. 
But  we  learn  from  Robinson  that  they  were  both  Baptists. 
Davidis  u  as  a  preacher,  but  Blandratta  u  as  not.  Tiie  iirst 
became  the  chaplain  of  the  court,  and  the  other  physician 
to  the  prince.  About  this  time  several  other  foreigners 
came  into  Transylvania  by  the  invitation  of  prince  Sigis- 
mund, for  the  purpose  of  helping  forward  the  retormaiion. 
Among  them  was  John  Somer,  celelDrated  for  his  knoul- 
edge  of  the  Greek  language,  and  Jacob  Pal^ologus,  a  fa- 
mous Hebrician.  Somer  was  a  Saxon,  and  Falasologus 
was  a  native  of  the  isle  of  Chios,  and  is  said  to  be  oi  the 
imperial  femily.  Several  other  foreigners,  who  had  been 
persecuted  elsewhere,  sought  refuge  in  Transylvania,  where 
persecution  for  religion  was  unknown.  These  refugees 
were  Unitarian  Baptists,  and  throui^h  their  indefatigable 
industry  and  address  the  prince,  the  greatest  part  oi  the 
senate,  a  great  number  of  ministers,  and  a  multitude  of 
the  people  went  heartily  into  their  plan  of  reformation. 
This  was  effected  by  private  tuition,  by  publick  preaching, 

*  Mosheim,  vol.  4.  p.  496. 


182  Damdis  became  Super intendam, 

by  conferences  held  in  publick  by  appointment  with  such 
as  desired  information,  and  by  debates  in  the  presence  of  the 
senate.  The  prince  and  the  senators  attended  one  of  these 
successively  for  ten  days.  In  the  end  the  Baptists  became 
by  far  the  most  numerous  party,  and  were  put  in  posses- 
sion of  a  printing  office,  and  an  academy,  and  the  cathe- 
dral was  given  them  for  a  place  of  worship. 

The  year  after  a  synod  uas  held  at  Thorda,  at  which 
were  present  three  hundred  and  twenty-two  Unitarian  min- 
isters, who  unanimously  agreed  to  renounce  infant  sprink- 
ling as  a  prostitution  of  primitive  baptism,  and  published 
thirty-two  theses  a«:ainst  it.* 

From  this  period  Baptist  principles  prevailed,  and  many 
Baptist  churches  were  founded  in  Transylvania  ;  and  Davi- 
dis,  who  was  considered  half  a  Jew  by  his  opposers,  be- 
cause he  kept  holy  the  seventh  day,  became  the  superin- 
tendant  of  them  all.  It  is  probable  that  there  were  many 
other  Sabbatarians  in  this  country,  but  we  have  no  accoupts 
respecting  them.  The  progress  of  the  Baptists  in  this 
kingdom  we  cannot  describe  with  any  degree  of  minuteness. 
We  are  informed  however  that  in  process  of  time,  they,  like 
their  brethren  in  Poland,  adopted  open  comnmnion,  and 
tolerated  infant  sprinkling  in  their  churches.  They  were 
connected  with  a  court  and  with  courtly  characters,  by  whom 
they  were  corrupted  and  ensnared.  We  may  furthermore 
observe  that  the  Baptists  have  always  been  outwitted,  when 
they  have  attempted  to  vie  with  others  in  worldly  policy. 
It  is  an  art  w  hich  they  do  not  understand,  and  for  which, 
when  they  keep  to  their  original  principles,  they  have  no 
need. 

The  Transylvanian  Baptists  were,  as  to  their  doctrinal 
sentiments,  termed  Unitarians  and  Socinians.  But  Socini- 
anism  was  not  then  what  it  has  arri\ed  to  since,  nor  were 
the  Baptists  agreed  among  themselves  in  their  doctrinal 
opinions.  Davidis  thought  that  Christ  ought  not  to  be 
called  God,  nor  invoked  in  prayer.  Dr.  Blandratta,  it 
seems,  believed  both,  and  he  and  Davidis  had  warm  dis- 
putes upon  the  subject.  And  the  doctor,  hoping  to  recov- 
er the  old  superintendant  to  his  former  belief,  invited  So- 
cinus,  who  was  then  at  Basil,  to  come  into  Trans) Ivania. 
Socinus  came,  and  he  and  Davidis  disputed  together  eigh- 

•  Robinson's  Researches,  p.  630— l"-"?. 


Death  of  Daniidis  and  Blandratta.  183 

teen  weeks,  and  ended  where  they  bej^un.  Davidis 
thought  Jesus  an  ordinary  man  ;  but  both  Blandratta  and 
Sncinus,  and  many  other  Socinians  of  that  day,  gave  him 
a  much  more  exalted  character.  Bat  all  of  them  were 
wrons",  and  they  had  set  out  in  a  path  which  led  them  by 
degrees  to  a  cold,  comfortless,  and  dangerous  region. 

I  do  not  find  that  the  Transylvanian  Baptists  met  with 
any  remarkable  scenes  of  persecution,  but  still  their  course 
was  unprosperous .  Davidis  was  imprisoned  on  account 
of  his  opinions,  and  died  in  prison,  and  both  Socinus  and 
Biandratta  were  accused  of  having  a  hand  in  the  business. 
Blandratta,  to  whom  the  Baptists  looked  up  for  assistance, 
was  now  old  and  rich,  and  spent  his  latter  days  as  many  oth- 
er old  men  have  done,  in  hoarding  up  money.  He  had  made 
a  will  in  favour  of  a  nephew,  but  the  impatient  youth  sti- 
fled him  in  his  bed.  Davidis  was  succeeded  in  the  super- 
intendency  of  the  churches  by  Hunyedine,  and  he  by 
Enyedine,  but  who  was  his  successor  we  are  not  informed. 
The  Baptist  churches  here  were  protected  by  law,  and  en- 
joyed external  tranquillity,  but  we  have  no  information  of 
the  state  of  vital  piety  amongst  them.  At  the  times  wc 
have  been  describing,  I  am  much  inclined  to  believe  there 
W'ere,  in  obscure  retreats,  many  genuine  Baptists,  the  de- 
scendants of  the  old  Moravians,  who  chose  to  keep  away 
from  the  splendour  and  bustle  of  the  great,  and  who,  of 
course,  avoided  their  speculations  and  snares. 

The  Baptists  of  whom  we  have  been  speaking,  both  Po- 
lish and  Transylvanian,  were  injured  by  the  very  means 
from  which  they  hoped  to  derive  advantage.  Their  noble 
converts  and  patrons  elevated  them  above  their  common 
level,  which  excited  their  ambition,  and  also  rendered 
them  the  more  conspicuous  objects  for  the  shafts  of  their 
enemies.  Their  learned  men,  by  pursuing  a  course  of 
speculative  reasoning,  corrupted  their  faith  and  led  them 
into  error. 

Finally,  it  will  be  acknowledged  by  all,  who  have  studi- 
ed the  history  of  the  Baptists,  that  they  like  sheep  flour- 
ish best  in  short  pasture  and  in  rocky  places. 

It  is  now  proper  that  we  should  give  some  brief  sketch- 
es of  a  few  distinguished  Baptist  characters,  \\  ho  have  not 
been  mentioned. 


184  Michael  Servetus. 

Bernard  Och'm  or  Ochinus.  This  man  was  an  Italian, 
he  had  been  a  monk  and  confessor  to  the  pope,  but  he  of- 
fended his  holiness  by  preaching  too  freely  before  him 
against  his  pride.  Fearing  the  consequences  of  the  pope's 
displeasure,  he  fled  for  safety,  and  finally  settled  at  Pinck- 
zovv.  Robinson  says  he  became  a  Unitarian  B.iptist,  but 
it  is  doubted  by  Mosheim  whether  he  ever  adopted  the 
doctrine  of  Socinus. 

Sumlms  Luiomirski,  I  find  no  account  of  the  birth  of 
this  eminent  man.  He  had  been  in  priest's  orders  in  the 
church  of  Rome,  and  secretary  to  the  king  of  Poland,  who 
intended  to  have  preferred  him  to  be  lord  primate,  but  his 
conscience,  says  Robinson,  spoiled  him  for  a  cardinal 
archbishop,  and  converted  him  into  a  teacher  of  a  B.iptist 
church.  He  wrote  the  circular  letter  for  the  synod  held  at 
\Vcno;rovia  by  the  Pinckzovians,  which  is  said  to  be  a 
master-piece  in  its  kind.  He  informed  the  churches  that 
the  synod  had  judged  infant  baptism  an  error,  and  had  re- 
solved to  renounce  it — he  added  that  though  some  one 
had  mentioned  the  affair  at  Munster,  yet  believer's  bap- 
tism had  nothing  to  do  with  it,  and  that  as  they  had  always 
obeyed  magistrates,  so  they  had  resolved  to  do  in  future 
for  conscience'  sake — he  closes  with  exhortations  to  broth- 
erly kindness,  and  Vvith  adoring  God,  who  had  brought 
them  out  of  the  Babylonish  captivity  of  the  papal  church. 

Michael  Ser'uetus.  This  unhappy  man  was  a  Spaniard 
by  birth,  and  lost  his  life  at  Geneva  by  means  of  the  fa- 
mous John  Calvin.  He  was  not  immediately  connected 
vvith  tht  Baptists  we  have  been  describing,  but  as  no  ac- 
count of  him  has  yet  been  given,  this  seems  the  most  prop- 
er place  to  say  a  few  things  respecting  him.  The  death 
of  this  unfortunate  man  produced  very  lively  emotions 
both  of  pity  and  resentment  in  the  breasts  of  many,  who 
were  not  altogether  in  favour  of  his  religious  opinions. 

Many  have  written  accounts  of  this  much  injured  man, 
and  uttered  the  severest  rebukes  against  Calvin  and  his 
party  by  whom  he  was  committed  to  the  flames.  Robin- 
son has  entered  somewhat  largely  into  his  history  in  his 
Researches,  under  the  Article,  T/ie  Church  of  Navarre 
and  Biscay  ;  but  our  limits  will  permit  us  to  give  only  the 
brief  outlirics  of  the  character  and  sufferings  of  this  famous 
Baptist.     He  was  born  at  Villa  Neuva  in  ArragoUj  in 


Serve  lus.  185 

Spain,  not  long  after  the  year  1500.  He  was  bred  to 
physic,  but  he  was  early  inclined  to  religious  studies,  and 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  became  an  author.  His  first  pub- 
lication was  designed  to  oppose  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 
The  errors  of  Servetus  on  this  and  some  other  subjects  we 
lament.  But  this  does  not  hinder  us  from  pitying  his  fate, 
and  detesting  the  persecuting  intrigues  which  cost  him  his 
life.  Servetus  passed  through  various  fortunes,  and  pub- 
lished a  number  of  works,  all  of  which  we  must  pass  over. 
While  he  was  studying  at  the  University  at  Paris,  he  be- 
came acquainted  with  Calvin,  who  was  nearly  of  his  age. 
This  was  about  twenty  years  before  he  was  burnt  at 
Geneva. 

From  Paris,  Servetus  went  to  Lyons,  where  he  met  with 
Peter  Palmier,  a  Catholick  and  Archbishop  of  Vienna  in 
Dauphine.  The  Archbishop  being  a  lover  of  learned  men, 
and  fond  of  Servetus,  pressed  him  to  go  to  Vienna  and 
practise  physic,  and  offered  him  an  apartment  in  his  pal- 
ace. The  doctor  accepted  his  invitation,  and  thirteen 
years  lived  safe  and  happy,  under  the  auspices  of  his  Cath- 
olick patron.  This  prelate  seems  to  have  been  one  of 
those,  of  whom  there  have  been  numbers  in  the  Catholick 
churdi,  who  think  freely,  but  who  do  not  act  consistently, 
who  inwardly  disapprove  of  their  own  corrupt  system, 
but  who,  for  reasons  best  known  to  themselves,  continue 
to  defend  it.  The  reformers  of  that  day  could  not  con- 
ceive how  a  Cadiolick  Archbishop  and  an  Anabaptist 
doctor,  could  live  in  peace  in  different  apartments  in  the 
same  palace.  The  enemies  of  Servetus  envied  his  felicity, 
and  plotted  his  ruin.  A  prosecution  was  commenced 
against  him,  and  he  was  cast  into  prison  ;  but  he  soon,  by 
the  indulgence  of  the  jailer,  made  his  escape  and  conceal- 
ed himself  four  months,  no  body  knows  where.  The 
prosecution  was  carried  on  in  his  absence,  he  was  condemn- 
ed to  be  burnt  alive  in  a  slow  fire,  and  he  was  actually 
burnt  in  effigy.  Being  thus  hunted  by  his  enemies,  this 
persecuted  man  next  determined  on  going  to  Naples,  in 
hope  of  settling  there  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  It 
is  supposed  that  he  was  induced  to  this  measure  by  a 
Spanish  nobleman,  named  John  Valdesius,  who  was  then 
secretary  to  the  king  of  Naples,  and  who  had  embraced 

VOL.   I,  24 


186  Seriietiis. 

the  principles  of  the  Anabaptists.*  He  took  his  way 
throui^h  Geneva,  but  kept  close  for  fear  of  discovery. 
While  he  waited  for  a  boat  to  cross  the  lake,  Calvin,  by 
some  means,  got  intelligence  of  his  arrival,  and  although  it 
was  Sunday,  yet  he  prevailed  upon  the  chief  syndich  t© 
arrest  and  imprison  him.  The  proceedings  against  hira 
are  too  lengthy  to  be  related  here,  but  the  issue  of  them 
was,  that  on  the  27th  of  October,  1553,  this  unfortunate 
man,  with  many  aggravating  circumstances,  was  burnt 
alive  at  Geneva  for  heresy. 

A  multitude  of  testimonies  go  to  prove  that  Calvin  was 
at  the  head  of  this  barbarous  affair.  But  omitting  all  oth- 
ers, I  will  transcribe  a  part  of  a  letter  written  by  him  in 
1561,  to  the  Marquis  Pact,  high  chamberlain  to  the  king 
of  Navarre.  "  Honour,  glory,  and  riches,"  said  he  to  the 
Marquis,  "shall  be  the  reward  of  your  pains  ;  but  above 
all,  do  not  fail  to  rid  the  country  of  those  scoundrels,  who 
stir  up  the  people  to  revolt  against  us.  Such  monsters 
should  be  exterminated,  as  I  have  exterminated  Michael 
Servetus  the  Spaniard. "| 

Servetus  was  a  confirmed  Baptist,  and  censured  with 
great  severity  the  custom  of  infant  baptism,  and  this  was 
probably  one  of  the  principal  things  which  provoked  the 
resentment  of  his  enemies.  His  doctrinal  sentiments  were 
unquestionably  very  exceptionable.  He  opposed  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity,  ar.d  adopted  the  Unitarian  scheme,  but 
his  view's  upon  this  mysterious  subject  were  singular,  and 
in  a  great  measure  peculiar  to  himself.J  He  also  opposed 
the  proper  divinity  of  Christ,  but  like  Paul  of  Samosata^ 
he  could  never  get  over  the  first  chapter  of  John,  and  there- 
fore he  sometimes  called  him  God,  and  accounted  for  do- 

*  Robinson's  Researches,  p.  348.        -j-  Robinson's  Researches,  p.  348, 

+  Servetus'  notion  of  the  Trinity  according  to  Mosheim  was  as  follows  : 
"  The  Deity,  before  the  creation  of  the  world,  had  produced  within  himself, 
two  personal  representations,  or  manners  of  existence,  which  were  to  be  the  me- 
diiivi  of  intercourse  between  him  and  mortals,  and  by  whom,  consequently,  he 
was  to  reveal  his  will,  and  to  display  his  mercy  and  beneficence  to  the  chil- 
dren of  men  ;  thattliese  two  representatives  weretiie  IVord  und  XheHoly  Ghost  ,i 
that  the  former  was  united  to  tlie  man  Christ,  who  was  born  of  the  virgia 
Miny  by  an  omnipotent  act  of  the  di\ine  w  ill  ;  and  that  on  tliis  account,  Christ 
miglit  properly  be  called  God  ;  that  the  Holy  Spiiit  directed  the  course,  and 
animated  the  whole  system  of  nature  ;  and  more  especially  produced  in  the 
minds  of  men  wise  councils,  virtuous  pro(;ensities,  and  divine  feelings  ;  and 
finally,  that  tluse  two  representations  were  to  cease  after  the  destruction  of  this 
terrestrial  globe,  and  to  be  absorbed  into  tliQ  ja^^fance  of  the  Deity,  fron^ 
vhcnce  they  had  been  formed. 


Andrew  Dudith.  187 

ing  so  by  some  sublime  sort  of  inhabitation  of  the  Deity  in 
the  man  Jesus. 

Andrew  Dudith  was,  according  to  Mosheim,  one  of  the 
most  learned  and  eminent  men  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
He  was  born  in  Buda  in  Hungary,  in  1533.  He  had  a 
most  accomplished  education,  and  went  an  extensive  round 
of  honours  and  preferments.  He  set  out  in  his  career  of 
w  oridly  glory,  with  the  bishoprick  of  Tinia,  and  was  in  suc- 
cession privy  counsellor  to  the  emperor  Ferdinand,  his  im- 
perial embassador  to  the  court  of  Sigismund,  king  of  Po- 
land, a  delegate  in  the  famous  council  of  Trent  for  Hunga- 
ry, and  finally  bishop  of  Chonat.  But  tired  of  the  fopperies 
of  the  church  of  Rome,  he  left  her  communion,  became  a 
protestant,  and  in  the  end  a  member,  and  an  occasional 
teacher  of  a  Baptist  church  at  Smila,  a  town  belonging  to 
him  in  Poland.  "  It  is  said  that  he  shewed  some  inclina- 
tion towards  the  Socinian  system  ;  some  of  his  friends  de- 
ny this  ;  others  coiifess  it,  but  maintain  that  he  afterwards 
changed  his  sentiments  in  that  respect." 

"  The  greatest  man,  says  Robinson,  among  the  Baptists 
at  the  reformation,  was  the  celebrated,  the  amiable,  the 
incomparable  Dudith,  a  man  to  be  held  in  everlasting  re- 
membrance, much  for  his  rank,  more  for  his  abilities  and 
virtue,  but  most  of  all  for  his  love  of  liberty, "*^  and  so  on. 
Never,  says  the  same  writer,  was  a  finer  pen  than  that  of 
Dudith.  "  You  contend,"  says  he  to  Beza,  "  that  scrip- 
ture is  a  perfect  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  But  you  are 
all  divided  about  the  sense  of  scripture,  and  you  liave  not 
settled  who  shall  be  judge.  You  have  broken  off  your 
yoke,  allow  me  to  break  mine.  Having  freed  yourselves 
from  the  tyranny  of  popish  prelates,  why  do  you  turn  ec- 
clesiastical tyrants  yourselves,  and  treat  others  with  barbar- 
ity and  cruelty  for  only  doing  what  you  set  them  an  exam- 
ple to  do  ?  You  contend  that  your  lay -hearers,  the  magis- 
trates, and  not  you,  are  to  be  blamed,  for  it  is  they  who 
banish  and  burn  for  heresy.  I  know  you  make  this  excuse  ; 
but  tell  me,  have  not  you  instilled  such  principles  into 
their  ears  ?  Have  they  done  any  thing  more  dian  put  in 
practice  the  doctrine  that  you  have  taught  them  ?  Have  you 
■pot  told  them  how  glorious  it  was  to  defend  the  faith  ? 
Have  you  not  been  the  constant  panegyrists  of  such  princes 

*  History  of  Baptism,  p.  556. 


188  Histories  of  the  English  Baptists. 

as  have  depopulated  whole  districts  for  heresy  ?  Do  you 
not  daily  teach,  that  they  who  appeal  from  your  confes- 
sions to  scripture  ought  to  be  punished  by  the  secular 
power  ?  It  is  impossible  for  you  to  deny  this.  Does  not 
all  the  world  know,  that  you  are  a  set  of  demagogues,  or 
(to  speak  more  mildly)  a  sort  of  tribunes,  and  that  the  mag- 
istrates do  nothing  but  exhibit  in  publick  what  you  teach 
in  private  ?  You  try  to  justify  the  banishment  of  Ochin, 
and  the  execution  of  others,  and  you  seem  to  wish  Poland 
would  follow  your  example.  God  forbid  !  When  you  talk 
of  your  Augsburg  confession,  and  your  Helvetic  creed,  and 
your  unanimity,  and  your  fundamental  truths,  I  keep  think- 
ing of  the  sixth  commandment,  THOU  SHALT  NOT  KILL. 
Farewell,  most  learned  and  respected  Beza.  Take  \\  hat  I 
have  said  in  good  part,  and  continue  your  friendship  for 
me."  This  is  only  a  sketch  of  a  letter,  but  these  hints 
may  serve  to  shew  the  temper  and  the  turn  of  the  man. 

This  eminent  Baptist  fell  asleep  at  Breslaw,  in  Silesia,  in 
1589,  about  the  57th  year  of  his  age. 


CHAP.  V. 

ENGLAND. 

WE  have  now  arrived  to  a  country,  where  we  shall  not 
be  obliged  to  rely  altogether  on  the  accusations  of  ene- 
mies, and  the  records  of  courts  of  inquisition  for  informa- 
tion respecting  our  brethren.  Tlie  English  Baptists  have 
paid  considerable  attention  to  their  own  history,  and  have 
furnished  materials  from  which  we  can  ^-inn  clear  and  ex- 
plicit  accounts  of  their  character,  progress,  sufferings,  and 
circumstances,  for  between  two  and  three  hundred  years  ; 
they  have  also  collected  from  the  writings  of  their  adver- 
saries many  valuable  hints  respecting  their  brethren  at  a 
much  earlier  period. 

About  seventy  years  ago,  Mr.  Thomas  Crosby,  a  dea- 
con of  the  old  church  in  London,  formerly  under  the  care 
of  Dr.  Gill,  but  now  of  Dr.  Rippon,  published,  in  four 
volumes,  A  History  of  the  English  Baptists.  This  history 
is  something  like  that  of  our  late  venerable  Backus  ;  it 
contains  a  vast  fund  of  valuable  information,  but  is  de^ 


English  Baptists  di'vided  into  G eneral  Bf  Particular.     1 89 

ficient  in  style  and  arrangement.  About  the  beginning  of 
the  present  century  a  periodical  work  was  commenced  by 
Dr.  Rippon  of  London,  entitled  The  Baptist  Annual  Reg- 
ister. This  work  was  continued  to  forty  one  numbers, 
and  contains  many  interesting  accounts  of  the  Baptists 
both  in  England  and  elsewhere. 

A  History  of  the  English  Baptists  has  been  lately  un- 
dertaken by  Mr.  Ivimey,  a  Baptist  minister  in  London. 
This  history,  I  conclude,  is  intended  to  be  both  an  abridg- 
ment and  continuation  of  Crosby.  The  first  volume  which 
closes  with  the  seventeenth  century,  I  have  obtained  of 
Dr.  Qaldwin  of  Boston  ;  it  is  the  only  copy  I  have  heard 
of  in  this  country. 

In  the  English  Baptist  Magazine,  a  few  scattering  num- 
bers of  which  have  been  loaned  me  by  my  friend  Dr. 
Baldwin,  1  find  a  few  detached  portions  of  what  are  enti- 
tled Memoirs  of  the  English  Baptists,  written  by  the  late 
Josiah  Taylor  of  Calne,  Wiltsshire,  England.  I  very 
much  regret  that  I  cannot  get  the  whole  of  these  ingenious 
and  somewhat  singular  Memoirs,  as  they  would,  I  have 
reason  to  believe,  furnish  to  my  hands  the  substance  of  the 
sketch  which  I  am  preparing  to  give.  But  they  are  not 
probably  to  be  obtained  this  side  the  Atlantic,  and  it  is  now 
too  late  to  seek  them  from  the  other. 

The  affairs  of  our  English  brethren  furnish  materials 
for  a  lengthy  article,  but  it  belongs  to  them  to  u  rite  their 
own  history.  It  is  now  taken  in  hand,  and  perhaps  finish- 
ed by  a  gentleman,  \^ho  appears  well  qualified  for  the  un- 
dertaking. How  large  the  work  will  be  I  am  not  inform- 
ed, but  1  hope  and  am  inclined  to  believe,  it  will  soon  be 
reprinted  in  this  country. 

The  plan  of  this  work  admits  only  of  summary  state- 
ments and  abridged  accounts,  and  but  very  brief  sketches 
can  be  given  of  the  Baptists  in  England.  I  should  have 
endeavoured  to  reserve  a  larger  place  for  them,  were  it  not 
that  those,  who  may  wish  to  peruse  their  history  at  large, 
\\\\\  probably  soon  have  the  opportunity  of  doing  it,  either 
by  the  importation  or  republication  of  Ivimey's  work. 

The  Baptists  in  England  are  divided  into  General  and 
Particular,  and  have  been  since  soon  after  the  reformation. 
Their  principal  difference  is  in  points  of  doctrine.  It  will 
be  difficult,  and  indeed  unnecessary,  to  pay  a  strict  regard 


1 90       Christianity  planted  in  Britain. . . .  St.  Justin. 

to  these  distinctions  throughout  the  following  sketch. 
Both  parties  have  had  their  share  of  sufferings,  and  among 
them  both  we  find  a  number  of  very  worthy  and  distin- 
guished characters. 

About  sixty  years  after  the  ascension  of  our  Lord,  Chris- 
tianity was  planted  in  Britain,  and  a  number  of  royal  blood, 
and  many  of  inferior  birth,  were  called  to  be  saints.  Here 
the  gospel  flourished  much  in  early  times,  and  here  also  its 
followers  endured  many  afflictions  and  calamities  from  pa- 
gan persecutors.  The  British  christians  experienced  va- 
rious changes  of  prosperity  and  adversity  until  about  the 
3'ear  600.  A  litde  previous  to  this  period,  Austyi  the 
monk,  that  famous  Pedo-baptist  and  persecutor,  with  about 
forty  others,  were  sent  here  by  pope  Gregory  the  great,  to 
convert  the  pagans  to  popery,  and  to  subject  all  the  British 
christians  to  the  dominion  of  Rome.  The  enterprise  suc- 
ceeded, and  conversion  (or  rather  perversion)  work  was 
performed  on  a  large  scale.  King  Ethel  be  rt  and  his 
court,  and  a  considerable  part  of  his  kingdom,  were  won 
over  by  the  successful  monk,  who  consecrated  the  river 
Swale,  near  York,  in  which  he  caused  to  be  baptized  ten 
thousand  of  his  converts  in  a  day. 

Having  met  with  so  much  success  in  England,  he  re- 
solved to  try  what  he  could  do  in  Wales.  There  were 
many  British  christians  who  had  fled  hither  in  former 
times  to  aA'oid  the  brutal  ravages  of  the  outrageous  Saxons. 
The  monk  held  a  synod  in  their  neighbourhood,  and  sent 
to  their  pastors  to  request  them  to  receive  the  pope's  com- 
mandment ;  but  they  utterly  refused  to  listen  to  either  the 
monk  or  pope,  or  to  adopt  any  of  their  maxims.  Austin, 
meeting  with  this  prompt  refusal,  endeavoured  to  com- 
promise matters  with  these  strenuous  Welshmen,  and  re- 
quested that  they  would  consent  to  him  in  three  things, 
one  of  which  was  that  they  should  give  Christendom,  that 
is,  baptism  to  their  children  ;  but  with  none  of  his  j)ropo- 
sitions  would  they  comply.  "  Sins  therefore,"  said  this 
zealous  apostle  of  popery  and  pcdobaptism,  "  ye  wol  not 
receive  peace  of  your  brethren,  ye  of  other  shall  have 
warre  and  vvretche,"  and  accordingly  he  brought  the  Sax- 
ons upon  them  to  shed  their  innocent  blood,  and  many  of 
them  lost  their  lives  for  the  name  of  Jesus. 


The  first  British  Christians  -were  Baptists.         191 

The  Baptist  historians  ia  England  contend  that  the  first 
British  christians  were  Baptists,  and  that  they  maintained 
Baptist  principles  until  the  coming  of  Austin.  "  We 
have  no  mention,"  says  the  author  of  the  Memoirs,  "  of 
the  christening  or  baptizing  children  in  England,  before 
the  coming  of  Austin  in  597  ;  and  to  us  it  is  evident  he 
brought  it  not  from  hea^uen  but  from  Rome.  But  though 
the  subject  of  baptism  began  now  to  be  altered,  the  mode 
of  it  continued  in  the  nati  >nal  church  a  thousand  years 
longer,  and  baptism  was  administered  by  dipping,  &c." 
From  the  coming  of  Austin  the  church  in  this  island  was 
divided  into  two  parts,  the  old  and  the  wcii;.  The  old  or 
Baptist  church  maintained  their  original  principles.  But 
the  new  church  adopted  infant  baptism,  and  the  rest  of  the 
multiplying  superstitions  of  Rome. 

Austin's  requesting  the  British  christians,  who  oppos- 
ed his  popish  mission,  to  baptize  their  children,  is  a  cir- 
cumstance which  the  English  and  Welsh  Baptists  consid- 
er of  much  importance.  They  infer  from  it,  that  before 
Austin's  time,  infant  baptism  was  not  practised  in  Eng- 
land, and  that  though  he  converted  multitudes  to  his  pe- 
dobaptist  plan,  yet  many,  especially  in  Wales  and  Corn- 
wall, opposed  it ;  and  the  '^elsh  Baptists  contend  that 
Baptist  principles  were  maintained  in  the  recesses  of  their 
mountainous  Principality  all  along  through  the  dark  reign 
of  popery. 

Popery  was  the  established  religion  of  England  almost 
a  thousand  years  ;  and  although  the  people  paid  Peter's 
pence,  and  were  involved  in  darkness,  ignorance,  and  the 
shadow  of  death,  yet  some  of  these  islanders  were  refrac- 
tory subjects  of  the  papal  see,  and  some  of  the  kings  oc- 
casioned much  trouble  to  his  holiness.  They  had  much 
rather  be  pope  themselves,  than  submit  to  a  foreign  ec- 
clesiastical jurisdiction. 

William  the  Conqueror  ascended  the  British  tl\rone  in 
1066.  During  his  reign,  the  Waldenses  and  their  disci- 
ples from  France,  Germany,  and  Holland,  began  to  emi- 
grate to  and  abound  in  England.  About  the  year  lOSO, 
ihcy  are  said  to  ha\e  propagated  their  sentiments  through- 
out England  ;  so  that  not  only  the  meaner  sort  in  country 
villages,  but  the  nobility  and  gentry  in  the  chiefest  towns  and 
cities,  embraced  their  doctrines,  and  of  course  adopted  the 


192  JVaher  Lollard  and  John  Wickliff, 

opinions  of  the  Baptists,  for  we  have  no  information  that 
any  of  the  Waldenses  at  this  period,  had  fallen  off  to  in- 
fant baptism.  For  more  than  a  hundred  years,  that  is, 
from  1100  to  1216,  during  the  successive  reigns  of  Henry 
I.  Stephen,  Henry  II.  Richard  I.  and  John,  the  Walden- 
ses increased  and  were  unmolested.  The  two  last  of  these 
kings  were  much  engaged  in  foreign  affairs.  Richard  was 
long  absent  in  the  holy  war,  and  John  had  great  contests 
with  the  pope,  who  laid  his  kingdom  under  an  interdict, 
and  forbid  all  publick  worship  for  the  space  of  six  years, 
only  admitting  of  private  baptism  to  infants. 

In  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  about  1218,  the  order  of  the 
friar  Mennonites  were  sent  o\'er  from  the  continent  to 
suppress  the  Waldensian  heresy,  and  many,  doubtless, 
suffered  by  their  means. 

We  must  now  pass  on  to  the  reign  of  Edward  II.  in 
1315,  when  Walter  Lollard,  a  German  preacher  of  great 
renown  among  the  Waldenses,  and  a  friend  to  believer's , 
baptism,  came  into  England  and  preached  with  great  effect. 
His  followers  and  the  W^aldenses  generally  in  England  for 
many  generations  after  him  were  called  Lollards,*  and 
Crosby  has  quoted  authorities  to  show  that  they  rejected 
infant  baptism  as  a  needless  ceremony.  In  the  reign  of 
Edward  III.  about  the  year  1311,  John  Wickliff  began  to 
be  famous  in  England,  and  multitudes  embraced  his  doc- 
trine, and  entered  heartily  into  his  views  of  reformation. 
Wickliff  was  famous  both  for  writing  and  preaching. 
His  writings  were  carried  into  Bohemia,  and  his  senti- 
ments were  there  propagated  extensively  by  Huss,  Jerome, 
and  others,  and  among  the  followers  of  this  great  man  in 
Bohemia  and  England  we  find  many  Baptists.  There  can 
be  no  dispute  that  Wickliff  taught  Anabaptistical  errors, 
that  many  who  built  in  his  principles  rejected  infant  bap- 
tism ;  and  indeed  the  evidence  is  very  strong  that  he  Yixx^- 
^i  became  a  Baptist.\ 

Dr.  Hurd  in  his  History  of  all  Religions  says,  "  It  is 
pretty  clear  from  the  writings  of  many  learned  men,  that 
Dr.  John  Wickliflf,  the  first  English  reformer,  either  con- 
sidered infant  baptism  unlawful  or  at  best  unnecessary." 
The  author  of  a  History  of  Religion,  published  in  London 

•  IvimejVp-  56. 
f  We  do  not  contend  that  he  w.is  one  at  first. 


WicUiffa Baptist ....L ollards'*  Tower.  1 93 

in  1764,  in  four  volumes  octavo,  says,  *'  it  is  clear  from 
many  authors  that  WicklifF  rejected  infant  baptism,  and 
that  on  this  doctrine  his  followers  agreed  with  the  modern 
Baptists."  Thomas  VValden  and  Joseph  Vicecomes,  who 
had  access  to  his  writings,  have  charged  him  with  deny- 
ing pedobaptism,  and  they  brought  their  charge  at  a  time 
when  it  might  have  been  easily  contradicted,  if  it  had  not 
been  true. 

"  Walden  before  mentioned  calls  Wickliff  one  of  the 
seven  heads  that  came  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  for  deny- 
ing iiifant  baptism,  that  heresy  of  the  Lollards,  of  whom 
he  was  a  great  ring-leader.*" 

There  were  now  in  England  Lollards  and  WicklifFites, 
and  a  number  of  testimonies  go  to  prove  they  rejected 
infant  baptism.  They  were  numerous  throughout  the 
kingdom,  and  for  some  time  continued  in  the  established 
church.  But  Rapin  says  that  in  1389,  the  Lollards  and 
WickliOites  began  to  separate  from  the  church  of  Rome, 
and  to  appoint  priests  from  among  themselves,  to  perforin 
divine  service  after  their  way. 

In  the  year  1400,  Henry  IV.  enacted  the  cruel  statute 
for  the  burning  of  hereticks.  And  the  first  that  suffered 
by  this  infernal  law  was  William  Sawtre,  a  Lollard,  and 
supposed  to  be  a  Baptist.  The  signal  was  now  given  for 
bloody  men  to  execute  their  cruel  purposes  in  a  legal  way. 
The  sufferings  of  the  Baptists  and  all  evangelical  dissenters, 
from  this  period  till  the  reformation,  were  very  great. 
*' The  Lollards'  tower,"  ■  says  Ivimey,  '*  still  stands  a 
monument  of  their  miseries,  and  of  the  cruelty  of  their  im- 
placable enemies.  This  tower  is  at  Lambeth  palace,  and 
was  fitted  up  for  this  purpose  by  Chicheley,  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  who  came  to  his  see  in  1414.  It  is  said 
that  he  expended  two  hundred  and  eighty  pounds  to  make 
this  prison  for  the  Lollards.  The  vast  staples  and  rings 
to  which  they  were  fastened,  before  they  were  brought 
out  to  the  stake,  are  still  to  be  seen  in  a  large  lumber-room 
at  the  top  of  the  palace,  and  ought  to  make  protestants 
look  back  with  gratitude  upon  the  hour  which  terminated 
so  bloody  a  period.  "| 

*  Ivimey,  p.  71—2.  +  Pag^e  69. 

.  VOL.    1.  2.5 


194  ■■  MaJiy  Baptists  put  to  Death. 

From  the  death  of  William  Sawtre  to  the  time  when 
Henry  VIII.  renounced  the  dominion  of  the  pope,  and  be- 
came head  of  the  Enj^lish  church,  was  upwards  of  a  hun- 
dred and  thirty  years.  During  this  period  many  Baptists 
weie  found  in  tliis  kingdom,  many  were  obliged  to  flee 
from  it,  and  many  niore  were  martyred  in  it.  In  about 
three  years  from  1428,  to  1431,  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
persons  were  committed  to  prisi,>n  for  Lollard\  ;  some  of 
them  recanted,  others  did  penance,  and  several  of  them 
were  burnt  alive. 

In  1535,  twenty. two  Baptists  were  apprehended  and  put 
to  death,  and  in  1539,  thirty-one  more  of  the  same  people, 
sixteen  men  and  fifteen  women,  were  banished  the 
country,  who,  going  to  Delf  in  Holland,  were  there  put  to 
death,  the  men  beheaded  and  the  women  drowned.  In 
the  same  year  two  others  of  their  brethren  were  burned 
beyond  Southwark,  in  the  way  to  Neuington  ;  and  a  little 
before  five  Dutch  Anabaptists  were  burned  at  Smithfield. 
By  a  speech  which  Henry  VIII,  delivered  to  his  parlia- 
ment in  1545,  it  appears  that  many  of  his  subjects  went 
under  the  name  of  Anabaptists.  And  Bishop  Latimer,  in 
a  sermon  preached  before  the  young  and  amiable  Edward 
VI,  son  and  successor  of  the  popish  protectant  Henry, 
mentions  that  he  had  lately  been  informed  by  a  credible 
person,  that  there  was  at  that  time,  one  town  in  England, 
which  contained  more  than  five  hundred  hereticks,  who 
held  the  erroneous  opinions  of  the  Anabaptists. 

The  change,  which  took  place  under  Henry  VIII,  was 
in  the  erid  favourable  to  the  cause  of  religion  in  England  ; 
the  fetters  of  popery  were  broken  ;  the  scriptures  in  the 
English  language  Mere  sanctioned  by  parliament,  and  by 
their  means  evangelical  principles  were  diffused  throughout 
the  land.  In  a  short  time  the  Puritans  arose,  and  pushed 
on  the  reformation  beyond  the  bounds  which  the  courtly 
reformers  had  f  ct.  They  professed  to  take  the  Bible  for 
their  orily  rule,  and  many  building  on  their  piinciples, 
rejected  the  remains  of  popish  rubbish,  and  embraced  the 
principles  of  the  B  sptists.  But  persecuting  laws  were 
still  in  force,  and  the  ruling  party  both  in  church  and  state 
had  a  disposition  to  jHit  them  in  execution.  Popery  was 
indeed  abolished  and  protestantism  established,  but  the 
Baptists  soon  found  that  the  protestant  power  was  as  much 


George  Van  Pare  and  Joan  of  Kent.  195 

fSctermined  on  their  ruin  as  the  popish  had  ever  been.  In 
1549,  a  kind  of  Protestant  inquisition  was  established 
which  consisted  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  a  num- 
ber of  bishops,  noblemen,  and  others,  any  three  of  vviioin 
being  a  quorum,  were  instructed  to  examine  and  search 
after  all  Anabaptists,  hereticks,  Sec.  Many  Baptists  vvere 
apprehended,  how  many  were  executed  we  are  not  inform- 
ed ;  but  we  are  sure  that  two  of  considerable  eminence, 
viz.  Joan  Boucher,  commonly  called  Joan  of  Kent,  and 
George  Van  Pare,  a  Dutchman,  were  committed  to  the 
flames.  Great  exertions  were  made  to  save  from  the 
stake  the  unfortunate  Joan,  who  appears  to  have  been  a 
woman  of  distinction,  but  who  had  been  compelled  by  her 
Bible  and  conscience  to  become  a  Baptist.  A  person, 
jiupposed  to  be  Fox,  the  author  of  the  Book  of  Mart}rs, 
earnestly  entreated  the  famous  John  Rogers,  who  was 
afterwards  burnt  at  Smithfield,  to  use  his  interest  vvith  the 
Archbishop  to  save  the  poor  woman  from  the  cruel  death 
to  which  she  had  been  doomed.  But  Rogers  answered, 
that  burning  alive  was  no  cruel  death,  but  easy  enough. 
Fox,  astonished  at  such  an  answer,  replied,  "  JVell,  per- 
haps it  may  so  happen  that  you  yoursehes  shall  ha^ue your 
hands  full  of  this  mild  burning.''''  And  so  it  came  to  pasSj 
for  Rogers  was  the  first  man  who  was  burned  in  Queen 
Mary's  reign. 

Not  long  after  this,  we  are  informed  that  "  the  Ana^ 
baptists  began  wonderfully  to  increase  in  the  land  ;" 
ivhether  they  founded  many  churches  we  cannot  learn  ; 
but  if  they  did,  such  was  the  vigilance  of  their  enemies, 
they  were  probably  soon  broken  up.  In  former  times  it 
appears  many  Baptists  had  fled  from  the  continent,  and  for 
a  time  foimd  shelter  in  this  kingdom  ;  but  now  they  were 
hunted  out  by  watchful  inquisitors,  and  either  destroy  ed 
or  driven  from  the  reakn.  A  congregation  of  Dutch 
Anabaptists  was  discovered  on  Easter-day,  probably 
about  1570,  without  Aldgate  in  London,  seven  at)d  twen- 
ty of  whom  were  taken  and  imprisoned,  four  of  them 
recanted,   and  the  rest    were   probably  either  bainshed  or 

:  destroyed.  One  month  after  this,  eleven  other  B  ;ptists, 
one  Dutchman,  and  ten  women,  were  apprehended  and 
condemned.     One  was  persuaded  to  renounce  his  error, 

,  eight  vvere  banished  the  land,  and  two  of  the  companyj 


196     Echvard  Wightman  the  last  Martyr  in  England. 

John  Wielmaker  and  Henry   Tor  Woort  were  burnt  at 
Sirithfield. 

Very  scanty  accounts  have  been  obtained  of  the  Bap- 
tists in  England  in  the  times  of  uhich  we  are  speaking, 
and  but  a  few  of  the  sketches  which  our  English  brethren 
have  preserved  can  be  inseited  here.  But  it  is  sufficient 
to  observe  that  for  almost  a  century  after  the  church  of 
England  Mas  established  by  law,  our  Baptist  brethren 
throughout  the  kingdom  \^ere  every  where  persecuted  and 
distressed,  and  many  v\ere  exposed  to  tortures  and  death. 

The  last  man  who  was  put  to  death  in  England  for 
religion  was  a  Baptist.  His  name  was  Ed u aid  Wight- 
man,  and  is  supposed  to  be  the  progenitor  of  a  large  fami- 
ly of  that  name  in  Anierica,  many  of  whom  ha^e  been 
n  embers  of  different  Baptist  churches  in  Rhode- Island, 
and  the  neighbouring  States  of  Connecticut  and  Massa- 
chusetts, and  not  a  few  of  them  worthy  ministers  in  our 
churches.  Mr.  Wightman  was  of  the  town  of  Burion 
upon  Trent,  he  was  convicted  of  di\ers  heresies  before  the 
bishop  of  Litchfield  and  Coventry,  and  being  delivered 
over  to  the  secular  pouer,  was  burnt  at  LitchfiLld,  April 
11th,  1612.  'i  his  poor  man  was  accused  by  his  persecu- 
tors with  Arianism,  Anabaptism,  ai.d  almost  evtiy  other 
heietical  i^-w,  that  ever  infected  the  christian  wonci.  He 
was  condemned  for  holding  the  wicked  herc'^ies  of  the 
Ebionites,  Cerinthians,  Valentinians,  Ariaiis,  Macedoni- 
ans, of  Simon  Magus,  Manes,  Manicheus,  Phoiiiius,  and 
of  the  Anabaptists,  and  of  other  heretical,  execrable,  and 
unheard  of  opinions.  "  If,"  sa\s  Crosby,  "  Wightman 
really  held  all  the  opinions  laid  to  his  charge,  he  must 
have  been  either  an  idiot  or  a  madman,  aid  ought  to  have 
had  the  prayers  of  his  persecutors  rather  than  been  put 
to  a  cruel  death." 

From  the  deatii  of  William  Sawtre,  who  was  burnt  in 
London,  to  the  time  that  Edward  Wightman  perished  in 
the  flames  at  Litchfield,  was  a  period  of  two  hundred  and 
tw ehe  years.  We  have  very  go(jd grounds  for  believing  that 
Sawtre  was  a  Baptist,  we  are  sure  that  Wigh'.man  was,  and 
thus  it  appears  that  the  Baptists  have  had  the  honour  of 
leading  the  van,  and  bringing  up  the  rear,  of  that  part  of 
the  noble  at  my  of  English  mart\rs,  who  have  laid  dowji 
their  lives  at  the  stake. 


Baptist  Churches  founded  in  England,  197 

It  is  now  about  two  hundred  years  since  Wightman, 
with  his  enormous  load  of  heresies,  was  conimiired  to  the 
purifying  flames.  Almost  half  of  this  time,  the  Baptists  \\\ 
England  were,  for  the  most  part,  in  an  uncertain  state  ; 
what  earthly  enjoyments  they  jiossessed  were  held  by  a 
precarious  tenure,  and  persecution  and  distress  uere  their 
common  lot.  They  had  indeed  some  short  intervals  of 
repose,  but  these  \Aere  succeeded  by  tempestuous  sea- 
sons, and  the  cup  of  affliction  was  dealt  out  to  them  by 
their  enemies  in  plenteous  measure. 

We  have  observed  that  Edward  Wightman  was  the  last 
man  wh'o  suffered  death  for  religion  in  England.  Bat 
this  statement  needs  some  qualification.  He  was  indeed 
the  last  who  suffered  death  for  conscience'  sake  by  a  direct 
course  of  law;  but  multitudes  since  him,  both  B:iptists 
and  others,  have  died  in  prisons,  and  came  by  their  ends 
by  the  various  methods  of  legal  persecutions,  and  lawless 
outrage,  with  \\  hich  implacable  adversaries  pursued  them. 
Thousands  have  suffered  by  fines,  scourging,  and  impris- 
onment, been  driven  to  exile,  starvation,  and  w  retched- 
ness,  by  a  protestant  power,  which  professed  to  have  sepa- 
rated from  the  mother  of  harlots,  and  to  have  renounced 
the  works  of  darkness.  Of  many  of  these  sufferers  wq 
have  obtained  some  information,  but  the  history  of  many 
others  must  rem.ain  unknown,  until  that  tremendous  day, 
when  the  righteous  Judge  of  the  universe  shall  make  in- 
quisition   FOR    BLOOD. 

We  shall  now  pass  on  to  the  founding  of  Baptist  church- 
es in  this  kingdom,  and  then  take  notice  of  their  increa^ic 
from  time  to  time.  I  find  that  Crosby  and  Ivimey  are  not 
entirely  agreed  respectii.g  the  time  when  the  first  Biptist 
churches  were  founded  in  England.  Crosby's  account  is 
as  follows  :  "In  the  year  1633,  the  Baptists,  who  had 
hitherto  been  intermixed  with  other  protestant  dissenters, 
without  distiiiction,  and  who  consequei^tly  shared  with  the 
Puritans  in  the  persecutions  of  those  times,  began  to  sepa- 
rate tiiemselves,  and  form  distinct  societies  of  their  own. 
Concerning  the  first  of  these,  I  find  the  following  account 
collected  from  a  manuscript  of  Ivir.  William  Kiffin. 

"  There  was  a  congregation  of  protestant  dissenters  of 
the  Independent  persuasion  in  London,  gathered  in  the 
year  1616,  of  which  Mr.  Henry  Jacob  was  the  first  pastor, 


198  3Ir.  Kiffin's  Account, 

and  after  him  succeeded  Mr.  John  Lathrop,  who  was  their 
minister  in  1633.  In  this  society  several  persons,  finding 
that  the  congregation  kept  not  to  its  first  principles  of  sep- 
aration, and  being  also  convinced  that  baptism  was  not 
to  be  administered  to  inflmts,  but  to  such  as  professed 
faith  in  Christ,  desired  that  they  might  be  dismibsed  from 
the  communion,  and  allowed  to  form  a  distinct  congrega- 
tion in  such  order  as  was  most  as:reeable  to  their  own 
sentiments. 

"  The  church,  considering  that  they  were  now  grown 
very  numerous,  and  so  more  than  could  in  those  limes  of 
persecution  conveniently  meet  together,  and  believing  also 
that  those  persons  acted  from  a  principle  of  conscience, 
and  not  from  obstinacy,  agreed  to  allow  them  the  liberty 
they  desired,  and  that  they  should  be  constituted  a  distinct 
church,  which  was  performed,  Sept.  12,  1633.  And  as 
they  believed  that  baptism  was  not  rightly  administered  to 
infants,  so  they  looked  upon  the  baptism  they  had  received 
at  that  age  as  iuAalid,  whereupon  most  or  all  of  them  re- 
ceived a  new  baptism.  Their  minister  was  a  Mr.  John 
Spilsbury.  "What  number  they  were  is  uncertain,  because 
in  the  mentioning  of  about  twenty  men  and  women,  it  is 
added,  with  dhers  others. 

"  In  the  year  1638,  Mr.  William  Kiffin,  Mr.  Thomas 
Wilson,  and  others,  being  of  the  same  judgment,  were 
upon  their  request  dismissed  to  the  said  Mr.  Spilsbury's 
congregation.  In  the  year  1639,  another  congregation  of 
Baptists  was  formed,  whose  place  of  meeting  was  in 
Crutchedfriars,  the  chief  promoters  of  which  were  Mr. 
Green,  Mr.  Paul  Hobson,  and  Captain  Spencer." 

There  can  be  no  dispute  but  that  these  churches  were 
founded  at  the  time,  and  in  the  manner  above  related. 
But  Mr.  Ivimey  contends  that  they  were  not  the  Jirst 
w hich  were  established  in  England.  He  has  produced  a 
passage  from  the  writings  of  Dr.  Some,  which  states  that  , 
as  early  as  1589,  "  there  were  several  Anabaptist  conven- 
ticles in  London  and  other  places."  "  Some  persons," 
adds  the  doctor,  "  of  these  sentiments  have  been  bred  at 
our  universities." 

It  is  highly  probable  that  the  churches  or  conventicles 
mentioned  by  Dr.  Some,  were  General  Baptists,  as  they 
doubdess  founded  many   churches  in  England  before  the 


J  Confession  of  Faith  published. . . .  Baptists  i?icrease.     1 99 

Particular  Baptists  had  any.  But  the  reader  must 
keep  ill  mind,  that  the  following  statements  respect  the 
Particular  Baptists  only.  The  General  B  iptists  will  be 
taken  notice  of  under  a  separate  head. 

As  our  brethren  in  this  insulated  kingdom  were  con- 
stantly loaded  by  their  enemies  with  opprobrious  epithets, 
both  from  the  pulpit  and  the  press,  and  were  accused  of 
holding  many  dangerous  opinions,  they  at  length  put 
forth  a  confession  of  their  faith  for  the  purpose  of  clearing 
themselves  from  such  unjust  aspersions.  An  instrument 
of  this  kind  was  published  by  the  Particular  Baptists  about 
ten  years  after  their  first  churcljes  were  founded.*  It  was 
signed  in  the  name  of  seven  congregations,  or  churches  of 
Christ  in  London  ;  as  also  by  a  French  congregation  of 
the  same  judgment.  The  ministers'  names  are  Thomas 
Gunne,  John  Mabbitt,  Benjamin  Cockes,  Thomas  Kilicop, 
John  Spilsbury,  Samuel  Richardson,  Thomas  Miinden, 
George  Tipping,  Paul  Hobson,  Thomas  Goare,  Wiiliam 
Kiffin,  Thomas  Patient,  Hansard  KnoUys,  Tnomas 
Holmes,  Christopher  Duret,  Denis  Le  B  ubier.  Several 
editions  of  this  confession  were  published  in  1643,  1644, 
and  1646.  It  was  put  into  the  hands  of  many  of  the 
members  of  parliament,  and  produced  such  an  effect,  that 
some  of  their  greatest  adversaries,  (and  even  the  bitter  and 
inveterate  doctor  Featly)  were  obliged  to  acknowledge, 
that  excepting  the  articles  against  infant  baptism,  it  was 
an  orthodox  confession. 

Although  but  seven  churches  put  forth  this  confession, 
yet  it  appears  that  there  were  many  more  then  in  being, 
and  before  the  year  1646,  they  had  increased  to  forty- six, 
which  Ivimey  supposes  were  situated  in  and  about  London. 
The  Anabaptists,  said  Robert  Bailie,  in  1646,  in  a  work 
entitled,  yinabaptism  the  true  fountain  of  error^  have  lifted 
lip  their  heads  and  increased  their  number  above  all  the 
sects  in  the  land. 

I  do  not  find  any  particular  account  of  the  number  of 
churches  from  this  period  until  1689.  About  this  time, 
William,  Prince  of  Orange,  ascended  the  throne  of  Eng- 
land.    One  of  the  first  nieasures  of  government  was,   to 

*  I  find  Dr.  Rippon,  on  the  cover  of  No  8,  of  his  Register,  under  the  head 
of  Materials  vianted,  makes  mention  of  a  Confession  of  Faith,  published  a* 
early  as  1611. 


200       Many  Churches  not  in  tfie  General  Assembly. 

pass  the  Act  of  Toleration  the  Magna  Charta  of  the 
protestant  dissenters  ;  and  but  a  few  months  after  the  cor- 
onation of  that  illustrious  prince,  we  find  the  delegates 
froin  upwards  of  a  hundred  churches  in  England  and 
Wales,  met  in  London  for  the  purpose  of  inquiring  into 
the  jjtate  of  thtir  churches,  and  adopting  measures  for 
tht'ir  future  prosperity.  This  was  in  1689,  and  by  this 
assembly  was  published  the  confession  of  taith,  which  has 
often  been  distinguished  by  the  name  of  the  Century 
Confession.  This  great  Association  of  churches  continu- 
ed its  annual  sessions  for  a  few  years,  when  finding  it  in- 
convenient for  delegates  to  travel  so  far,  it  was  divided, 
and  associations  appear  to  have  been  kept  up  by  the 
English  Baptists  from  th  it  to  the  present  time.  "  It  must 
not  be  supposed,  says  Ivimey,  that  this  general  assembly, 
consisting  of  a  hundred  and  seven  churches,  contained  all 
the  B  iptibt  churches  in  England.  There  were,  at  the 
same  time,  a  great  number  of  General  Baptists,  who  had 
no  concern  with  this  assembly.  There  were  also  a  num- 
ber of  churches  of  the  Particular  Baptists,  or  who,  at  least, 
held  to  their  doctrinal  sentiments,  who,  for  particular 
reasons,  did  not  unite  in  this  great  association.  Some  of 
them  held  to  open  communion,  and  among  these  were  a 
number  in  Bedfordshire,  which  had  been  founded  by  the 
famous  John  Bunyan,  who  was  a  great  advocate  for  that 
practice.  Others  probably  had  some  scruples  respecting 
the  propriety  and  utility  of  Associations, 

Among  the  manuscript  writings  of  Morgan  Edwards,  I 
find  a  list  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  Ei^gland,  which  ap- 
pears to  have  been  made  out  about  the  year  1768.  At 
that  time  the  number  of  Particular  Baptist  churches  was 
two  hundred  ami  seventeen.  Dr.  Ri[jpon  in  his  Annual 
Register  pubhshed  a  list  for  1790,  by  which  it  appears 
that  their  number  had  increased  to  three  hundred  and 
twelve.  Eight  years  after,  we  learn  from  the  same  Regis- 
ter that  their  number  amounted  to  three  hundred  and  six- 
ty-one. 

We  shall  now  collect  from  the  \a  ide  range  of  materials 
before  us,  brief  accounts  of  the  principal  scenes  of  suffer- 
ings, which  our  brethren  passed  through  from  the  time 
their  first  churches  were  founded,  up  to  the  close  of  their 
persecutions  for  conscience'  sake.     We  shall  also,  as  we 


Brewer  imprisoned  fourteen  Tears,  201 

go  along,  take  notice  of  some  of  those  distinguished  events 
which  transpired  in  the  land  during  the  times  of  their  af- 
flictions, by  which  their  reputation  and  tranquilhty  wereai^- 
fected,  or  in  which  they  were  implicated  or  concerned. 

While  the  bigotted  and  cruel  Archbishop  Laud  had 
the  government  of  the  church  of  England,  dissenters  of 
every  class,  and  particularly  the  Baptists,  experienced  a 
continual  scene  of  vexation  and  trouble.  About  the  year 
1638,  many  ministers  were  apprehended  and  shut  up  in 
prison.  And  among  them  was  a  Mr.  Brewer,  a  Baptist 
minister,  who  lay  in  prison  fourteen  years. 

In  these  times,  the  High  Commission  Court  and  the 
Star  Chamber  were  two  of  the  chief  engines  of  wrong 
both  in  church  and  stale  ;  but  they  were  terminated  by  an 
act  of  parliament  in  1641.  But  other  means  of  oppression 
and  cruelty  remained,  and  the  Baptists  were  made  continu- 
ally to  feel  their  force.  Baptist  meetings  were  frequently 
disturbed  and  broken  up,  and  many  eminent  ministers 
were  punished  with  fines  and  imprisonment.  Some  slan- 
derous pieces  were  published  against  them,  and  among 
the  rest  was  one  by  the  famous  Richard  Baxter.  This 
eminent  man,  whose  name  on  many  accounts  ought 
always  to  be  mentioned  with  respect,  and  who  was  himself 
afterwards  persecuted  with  much  severity,  vented  the 
most  virulent  invectives  against  the  watery  Anabaptists. 
In  a  piece  entided  Plain  Scripture  Proof,  &c.  we  find  the 
following  astonishing  accusations  against  the  dangerous 
and  indecorous  dippers.  "  My  sixth  argument,"  said 
he,  "shall  be  against  the  usual  manner  of  their  baptizing, 
as  it  is  by  dipping  over  head  in  a  river,  or  other  cold 
water.  That  which  is  a  plain  breach  of  the  sixth  com- 
mandment, Thou  shall  not  kill,  is  no  ordinance  of  God, 
but  a  most  heinous  sin.  But  the  ordinary  practice  of 
baptizing  over  head,  and  in  cold  vvater,  as  necessary,  is  a 
j  plain  breach  of  the  sixth  commandment,  therefore  it  is  no 
!  ordinance  of  God,  but  a  heinous  sin.  And  as  Mr. 
!  Cradock  shows  in  his  book  of  gospel  liberty,  the  magis- 
trate ought  to  restrain  it,  to  save  the  lives  of  his  subjects— 
j  'V\\-aX.x\n.%  IS  flat  murder,  2t.n6.  no  better,  being  ordinarily 
I  and  generally  used,  is  undeniable  to  any  understanding 
i  man — And  I  know  not  what  trick  a  covetous  landlord  can 
find  out  to  get  his  tenants  to  die  apace,  that  he  may  have 

VOL.  I.  26 


202         Asiomshi7ig  Accusations  against  Dippers, 

new  fines  and  heriots,  likelier  than  to  encourage  such 
preachers,  that  he  may  get  them  all  to  turn  Anabaptists. 
I  wish  that  this  device  be  not  it  which  countenanceth  these 
men  ;  and  covetous  physicians,  methinks,  should  not  be 
much  against  them.  Catarrhs  and  obstructions,  which 
are  the  two  great  fountains  of  most  mortal  diseases  in 
man's  body,  could  scarce  have  a  more  notable  means  to 
produce  them  where  they  are  not,  or  to  increase  them 
Vi'here  they  are.  Apoplexies,  lethargies,  palsies,  and  all 
other  comatous  diseases  would  be  promoted  by  it.  So 
would  cephalalgies,  hemicranies,  phthises,  debility  of  the 
stomach,  crudities,  and  almost  all  fevers,  dysenteries, 
diarrhasas,  cholics,  iliac  passions,  convulsions,  spasms, 
tremors,  and  so  on.  All  hepatic,  splenetic,  and  pulmo- 
nic persons,  and  hypochondriacs  would  soon  have  enough 
of  it.  In  a  word,  it  is  good  for  nothing  but  to  dispatch 
men  out  of  the  world,  that  are  burdensome,  and  to  ranken 
church  yards — I  conclude,  if  murder  be  a  sin,  then  dip- 
ping ordinarily  over  head  in  England  is  a  sin  ;  and  if  those 
who  would  make  it  men's  religion  to  murder  themselves, 
and  urge  it  upon  their  consciences  as  their  duty,  are  Jiot  to 
he  suffered  in  a  commonwealth,  and  more  than  highway 
murderers  ;  then  judge  how  these  Anabaptists,  that  teach 
the  necessity  of  such  dipping,  are  to  be  suffered.  My 
seventh  argument  is  also  against  another  wickedness  in 
dieir  manner  of  baptizing,  which  is,  their  dipping  persons 
naked ^  which  is  i:>ery  usual  with  many  of  them,  or  next  to 
naked,  as  is  usual  v\  ith  the  modestest  that  I  have  heard  of. 
If  the  minister  must  go  into  the  water  with  the  party,  it 
will  certainly  tend  to  his  death,  though  they  may  scape 
that  go  in  but  once.  Would  not  vain  young  men  come 
to  a  baptizing  to  see  the  nakedness  of  maids,  and  make  a 
mere  jest  and  sport  of  it  ?"* 

*'  Poor  man  1"  says  Mr.  Booth,  "  he  seems  to  be  afflict- 
ed with  a  violent  hydrophobia  !  For  he  cannot  think  of  any 
person  being  immersed  in  cold  water,  but  he  starts,  he  is 
convulsed,  he  is  ready  to  die  with  fear.  Immersion,  you 
must  know,  is  like  Pandora's  box,  and  pregnant  u  ith  a 
great  part  of  those  diseases,  which  Milton's  angel  present- 
ed to  the  view  of  our  first  father.  A  compassionate  re- 
gard therefore  to  the  lives  of  his  fellow  creatures  compels 

♦  Baxter's  Plain  Scripture  Proof,  p.  134—137  '^*l 


Mr.  Oates  indicted  for  Murder.  208 

Mr.  Baxter  to  solicit  the  aid  of  magistrates  against  this 
destriicuve  plunging,  and  to  cry  out  in  the  spirit  of  an  ex- 
clamation once  heard  in  the  Jewish  temple,  Te  men  of 
Israel,  help!  or  Baptist  ministers  will  depopulate  your 
country  !  Know  you  not  that  these  plunging  teachers  are 
shrewdly  suspected  of  being  pensioned  by  avaricious  land- 
lords to  destroy  the  lives  of  your  liege  subjects  ?  Exert 
vour  power !  Apprehend  the  delinquents  !  Appoint  an 
'Auto  da  Fe  !  Let  the  venal  dippers  be  baptized  in  blood, 
and  thus  put  a  salutary  stop  to  this  pestiferous  practice  ! — 
What  a  pity  it  is  that  the  celebrated  History  of  Cold  Bath- 
ing, by  Sir  John  Floyer,  was  not  published  half  a  century 
sooner !  It  might,  perhaps,  have  preserved  this  good  man 
from  a  multitude  of  painful  paroxysms  occasioned  by  the 
thought  of  immersion  in  cold  water.  Were  I  seriously 
(adds  Mr.  Booth)  to  put  a  query  to  these  assertions  of 
Mr.  Baxter,  it  should  be  with  a  little  variation  in  the  words 
of  David,  "  What  shall  he  ghcn  unto  thee,  or  'njhat  shall 
he  done  unto  thee,  thou  iai.se  pen  ^  Were  the  temper, 
which  dictated  the  preceding  caricature  to  receive  a  just 
reproof,  it  might  be  in  the  language  of  Michael,  The 
Lord  rebuke  thee  !"* 

When  a  circumstance  is  related,  which  took  place  in 
the  year  1646,  it  will  not  be  thought  that  Mr.  Booth  has 
treated  the  misrepresentations  of  Mr.  Baxter  with  too 
great  severity.  In  this  year  Samuel  Oates,  a  very  popu- 
lar preacher  among  the  Baptists,  by  whom  many  hun- 
dreds were  baptized,  v.as  indicted  for  the  murder  of  Anne 
Martin,  who  died  a  few  weeks  after  she  was  baptized  by 
him.  He  was  tried  at  Chelmsford,  and  great  endeavours 
were  used  to  bring  him  in  guilty.  But  many  credible 
witnesses  were  produced,  and  among  others  the  mother  of 
the  young  woman,  who  all  testified,  that  the  said  Anne 
INIartin  was  in  much  better  health  for  several  days  after  her 
baptism,  than  she  had  been  for  several  years  before. 
And  in  the  end  the  jury  pronounced  not  guilty.  But  so 
great  was  the  enmity  against  Mr.  Oates,  that  he  was,  not 
long  after,  dragged  out  of  a  house  where  he  was  visiting, 
and  thrown  into  a  river,  his  persecutors  boasting  that  they 
had  thoroughly  dipped  him. 

•  Pedobaptism  Examined,  vol.  I.  p.  263—265. 


^^04     JoJm  Biinyan  imprisoned. . . .  Venner''s  Insurrection . 

During  the  reign  of  Cromwell,  the  Baptists  experienced 
a  respite  from  their  troubles,  many  of  ihem  found  favour 
with  the  Protector,  \Aere  elevated  to  posts  of  honour  and 
profit,  and  their  number  greatly  increased  throughout  the 
land. 

Charles  II.  was  restored  to  the  throne  of  his  ancestors, 
May  29,  1660.  In  his  Majesty's  declaration  from  Breda, 
before  his  return,  it  was  said,  "  We  do  also  declare  a 
liberty  to  tender  consciences,  and  that  no  man  shall  be 
disquieted  or  called  in  question  for  differences  of  opir.ion 
in  matters  of  religion,  which  do  not  disturb  the  peace  of 
the  kingdom."  How  far  his  conduct  accorded  V'  ith  these 
professions,  the  events  of  his  reign  will  abundai'tly  show. 

The  first  who  suffered  for  religion  in  the  reign  of  this 
profligate  prince,  was  the  famous  John  Bunyan,  author  of 
the  Pilgrim's  Progress  and  many  other  excellent  works. 
He  had  been  a  preacher  of  the  gospel  about  five  years,  and 
was  exceedingly  popular,  though  he  still  followed  his 
business  as  a  travelling  tinker.  While  preaching  at  a 
village  in  Bedfordshire  in  1660,  he  was  apprehended  and 
committed  to  Bedford  jail,  where  he  remained  twelve 
years.  Se\en  years  of  the  time  he  was  kept  so  close,  that 
he  could  not  look  out  of  the  door  of  his  prison. 

The  year  1661,  says  Rapin,  was  ushered  in  by  an  ex- 
traordinary event  which  gave  the  court  a  pretence  for 
breaking  through  the  declaration  of  indulgence,  which  had 
been  published,  'i'he  event  here  alluded  to  was,  in  short, 
as  follows  :  About  fifty  of  those  who  were  called  fiilh 
monarchy  men,  under  the  conduct  of  one  Thomas  \'en- 
ner,  assembled  in  the  evening  in  St.  Paul's  church  yard, 
and  killed  a  man,  who,  lipon  demand,  had  answered  for 
God  and  the  King.  This  gave  an  alarm,  the  company 
was  pursued  by  military  force  to  some  distance  from  the 
city,  where  some  were  taken  prisoners.  They  afterward;* 
returned  and  fought  furiously  in  several  positions  until 
they  were  all  either  killed  or  taken  prisoners.  The  pris- 
oners were  shortly  after  condemned  and  executed.  This 
was  an  imfortunate  event  for  dissenters,  for  the  crime  of  a 
few  furious  fanaticks  was  laid  to  the  charge  of  all.  The 
king  took  occasion  from  this  insurrection  to  publish  a 
proclamation  forbidding  all  meetings  and  conventicles  un- 
der pretence  of  religion,  and  commanding  the  oath  of  al- 


Act  of  Uniformity..,,  Baptist  Ministers  ejected.       205 

legiance  and  supremacy  to  be  tendered  to  all  persons  dis- 
affected to  the  government ;  and  in  case  of  refusal,  they 
were  to  be  prosecuted.  The  consequence  was,  that  num- 
bers of  Baptists  and  other  dissenters  were  imprisoned,  and 
their  meetings  every  where  disturbed. 

This  insurrection,  like  the  Munster  tragedy,  was  im- 
proved against  the  turbulent  dippers.  But  *'  Mr.  Jessey 
preaching  soon  after,  declared  to  his  congregation  that 
Venncr  should  say,  he  believed  there  was  not  one  Bap. 
tist  among  them  ;  and  that  if  they  succeeded,  the  Baptists 
should  know  that  infant  baptism  was  an  ordinance  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Mr.  Gravener  was  present  at  Venner's  meeting 
house  in  Coleman  street,  and  heard  him  say  this  ;  from 
whose  mouth  (says  the  writer)  1  had  this  account." 

Troubles  now  gathered  thick  upon  our  English  breth- 
ren. In  1662,  the  Act  of  Uniformity  was  passed,  in  con- 
sequence of  which,  upwards  of  two  thousand  eminently 
godly,  learned,  and  useful  ministers  were  obliged  to  leave 
their  livings,  and  were  exposed  to  many  hardships  and 
difficulties.  Amongst  these  were  a  number  of  ttie  Baptist 
denomination,  but  how  many  cannot  be  determined  with 
certainty.  We  are  sure,  however,  that  among  tie  Baptist 
ministers  were  Henry  Jessey,  A.  M.  William  Dell,  M.  A. 
Francis  Bampfield,  M.  A.  Thomas  Gennings,  Paul 
Frewen,  Joshua  Head,  John  Tombes,  B.  D.  Daniel  Dyke, 
A.  M.  Richard  Adams,  Jeremiah  Marsden,  Thomas 
Hardcastle,    Robert   B  owne,    Gabriel  Camelford,    John 

Skinner, Baker,  John  Gosnold,   Thomas  Quarrel, 

Thomas  Ewins,  LauTence  Wise,  John  Donne,  Paul  Hob- 
son,  John  Gibbs,  John  Smith,  Thomas  Ellis,  Thomas 
Paxford,  Ichabod  Chauncey,  M.  D. 

Crosby  has  mentioned  the  naines  of  a  number  of  these 
ejected  ministers,  of  whom  it  was  doubtful  whether  they 
were  Baptists,  and  Ivimey  has  omitted  the  names  of  some 
of  whom  it  has  been  determined  that  they  had  become 
Baptists  before  this  event.  And  among  them  was  John 
Miles,  who  founded  the  Baptist  church  at  Swansy  in  Mas- 
sachusetts. 

"  It  is  rather  wonderful,"  says  Ivimey,  "  that  any  Bap- 
tists were  found  in  the  churches  at  this  time,  when  it  is 
considered  that  the  first  act,  which  was  passed,  after  the 
restoration  of  the  king,  contained  an  exception  of  all,  who 


206    Cruel  Reigfi  of  Charles  II...,  Famine ,  Plague  y  ^  Fire. 

had  declared  against  infant  baptisnn  from  being  restored  to 
their  livings.  It  is  probable  also  that  amongst  those,  who 
had  been  expelled  to  make  room  for  the  old  incumbents, 
some  were  of  this  denomination.  The  Act  of  Uniformity 
completed  the  business,  and  after  this  we  do  not  find  that 
any  person  who  rejected  the  baptism  of  infants  continued 
in  the  establishment." 

Some  may  be  surprised  that  so  many  Baptist  ministers 
should  accept  of  livings  in  the  parish  churches.  But  it 
appears  to  have  been  a  very  common  custom  before  these 
times.  It  is  not  unfrequent  in  this  country  for  Baptist 
ministers  to  preach  to,  and  receive  salaries  from  Pedo- 
baptist  congregations ;  they  do  not  administer  ordinances 
amongst  them,  unless  that  now  and  then  they  find  some 
disposed  to  go  into  the  water,  and  they  commonly  preach 
more  or  less  to  Baptist  churches  at  the  same  time.  And 
in  much  the  same  u  ay  these  ministers  conducted  of  whom 
we  have  been  speaking.  Whatever  fault  a  Baptist  may 
be  disposed  to  find  with  such  a  procedure,  it  is  sure  that 
the  Pedobaptists  have  generally  the  most  reason  to  com- 
plain in  the  end. 

The  reign  of  Charles  II.  exhibited  a  series  of  profliga- 
cy, cruelty,  and  oppression.  But  as  the  divine  judgments 
do  not  always  slumber,  the  nation  was  visited  with  very 
sore  calamities.  In  1665,  a  plague  broke  out,  which  was 
then  the  most  dreadful  within  the  memory  of  man.  The 
number  of  those  who  died  in  London  only,  amounted  to 
about  one  hundred  tliousand.  Eight  or  ten  thousand  died 
in  the  city  and  suburbs  in  a  week.  This  calamity  was 
preceded  by  an  unusual  drought,  and  it  was  succeeded  in 
1666,  by  a  most  destructive  fire,  which,  in  three  or  four 
days,  consumed  thirteen  thousand  and  two  hundred 
dwelling  houses,  eighty  nine  churches,  and  many  other 
publick  buildings.  Thus  this  guilty  nation,  which  had 
committed  to  the  flames  so  many  of  the  saints  of  the  Lord, 
which  had  starved  and  tormented  so  many  others  in  vari- 
ous ways,  was,  in  quick  succession,  visited  with  three  of 
the  terrible  messengers  of  divine  vengeance,  famine, 
plague,  and  fire. 

In  1673,  among  other  vile  attempts  to  render  the  Bap- 
tists odious  and  contemptible,  a  pamphlet  was  published 
entitled,  Mr,  Baxter  baptized  in  blood.     This  scandalo.us 


Baxter  baptized  in  Blood.  207 

piece  professed  to  give  an  account  of  the  murder  of  Mr. 
Josiah  Baxter,  at  Boston  in  New-England,  by  four  Ana- 
baptists, Sec.  This  Baxter  was  said  to  be  a  godly  min- 
ister, whom  the  bloody  Anabaptists  had  murdered,  in  th& 
most  barbarous  and  horrid  manner,  merely  because  he 
had  worsted  them  in  argument.  The  writer  of  this  de- 
testable libel  took  much  pains  to  conceal  his  fraud,  and  to 
make  the  story  credible  among  the  enemies  of  the  Bap- 
tists. Bat  providence  favoured  our  brethren  to  defeat  the 
design  of  this  base  fictitious  performance.  The  lord 
mayor  published  an  interdict  to  prevent  the  sale  of  the 
pamphlet  ;  and  many  of  the  publishers  were  committed  to 
prison.  Through  the  influence  of  Mr.  KilEn,  at  court, 
the  matter  underwent  a  rigid  examination  at  the  council 
board,  when  upon  finding  it  a  falsehood,  the  following 
order  was  published  in  the  gazette  : 

*'  By  order  of  council." 

"  Whereas  there  is  a  pamphlet  lately  published,  entitled, 
Mr.  Baxter  baptized  in  blood,  containing  a  horrible  murder 
committed  by  four  Anabaptists  upon  the  person  of  Mr. 
Josiah  Baxter,  near  Boston  in  New-England  :  the  whole 
matter  having  been  inquired  into,  and  examined  at  the 
council  board,  is  found  altogether  false  and  fictitious. 

Edward  Walker." 

That  the  reader  may  have  a  view  of  the  circumstances 
in  Vv'hich  the  Baptists,  in  these  times  were  placed,  and 
how  their  enemies  conducted  towards  them,  I  will  trans- 
cribe the  following  summary  statements  from  the  Memoirs 
of  the  English  Baptists."^ 

"  Lord's  day,  May  29,  1670,  a  congregation  of  Baptists, 
to  the  amount  of  five  hundred,  met  for  divine  worship  near 
Lewes  in  Sussex.  Two  of  their  enemies  observed  them 
go  to  their  meeting  house,  and  informed  against  them, 
upon  which  Sir  Thomas  Nutt,  a  violent  persecutor,  and 
three  other  justices,  convicted  the  minister  and  above 
forty  of  the  hearers.  The  minister  was  fined  20/.  and  his 
fine  laid  upon  five  of  his  hearers,  and  the  rest  of  the  com- 
pany was  fined  five  shillings  each.  Warrants  were  issued 
under  the  hands  of  the  justices,  for   the  recovery  of  the 

•  These  accounts  relate  to  the  Baptists  in  the  country.  Their  suffering's 
in  London  are  related  in  those  numbers  of  the  Magazine  which  I  have  not 
obtained. 


208         Many  Baptists  plundered  of  their  Property.. 

iines  by  distress  and  sale  of  goods,  and  directed  to  the 
constables  of  the  hundred,  and  the  church  wardens  and 
overseers  of  the  parish.  In  the  month  of  June  the  distresses 
were  made.  From  Richard  White,  lined  6/.  15^.  they 
took  value  10/.  13^.  From  John  Tabret,  fined  2/.  14^. 
they  took  a  cow.  From  Walter  Brett,  a  grocer,  fined 
6/.  Ss.  they  took  tuo  casks  of  sugar,  which  cost  him  15/. 
From  Thomas  and  Richard  B.irnard,  fined  11/.  10^. 
they  took  six  cows,  upon  which  the  dairy- maid  told  them 
she  believed  they  would  ha'oe  a  store  of  syllabubs^  having 
taken  so  much  sugar  from  Mr.  Brett  !  From  Thomas 
Tourle,  fined  five  shillings,  they  took  a  horse,  and  another 
from  Richard  Mantle  for  a  like  fine.  From  others  for 
similar  fines  they  took  bacon,  cheese,  kitchen  furniture, 
•wearing  apparel,  and  other  goods,  to  about  treble  the 
amount  of  their  fines.  The  cattle  and  other  property 
taken  from  the  said  several  sufferers,  were  publickly  sold  for 
about  half  their  value. 

"  On  the  aforesaid  29th  of  May,  a  meeting  of  Baptists 
was  held  in  Brighihelmstone,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  William 
Beard,  who  was  fined  20/.  for  which  fine  the  constable  of 
the  place  and  two  assistants  took  sixty-fi^ue  bushels  ofmalt^ 
and  sold  it  for  tivehe  shdUngs  per  quarter  ! 

*'  At  Chillin^ton,  three  miles  from  Lewes,  Mr.  Nicho- 
las Martin  was  convicted  of  having  a  meeting  at  his  house, 
and  fined  20/.  for  which  fine  the  officer  of  injustice  took 
from  him  six  cows,  two  young  bullocks,  and  a  horse,  being 
all  the  stock  he  had,  all  of  which  he  recovered  again,  but 
not  till  he  had  taken  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and  been  at 
more  than  23/.  expense. 

"  The  magistrates  at  Dover  began  early  to  shew  their 
unrighteous  zeal  against  the  Baptists.  Many  of  them  were 
violently  taken  from  their  meeting  house,  committed  to 
prison,  and  detained  in  confinement,  to  the  ruin  of  their 
circumstances,  and  great  distress  of  their  families.  These 
hardships  urged  them  to  petition  the  King  and  Duke  of 
York  for  redress,  but  no  relief  was  given.  At  Aylesbury  ia 
Buckinghamshire,  the  justices  endeavoured  to  revive  the 
old  practice  of  punishing  hereticks  w  ith  death.  By  virtue 
of  a  dormant  statute  made  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
Mr.  Stephen  Dagnal,  pastor  of  a  Baptist  congregation  that 
met  at  Aylesbury,  and  eleven  of  his  people,  being  taken  at 


Twelve,  condemned  to  be  hanged^  pardoned.         20,9 

a  meeting,  were  sentenced  to  be  h?tno-ecI,  and  as  soon  as 
sentence  was  passed  against  them,  officers  were  sent  to 
their  several  houses  to  seize  their  goods,  and  whatever  ef- 
fects of  theirs  could  be  found  ;  which  order  was  executed 
immediately,  and  great  havock  was  made  of  what  possessions 
they  had  ;  but  powerful  intercession  being  made  for  them 
at  court,  by  Mr.  Kiffin,  the  king  granted  them  a  pardon, 
and  sometime  afterward  they  were  all  set  at  liberty  again, 

"  Great  were  the  sufferings  of  the  Baptists  in  Glouces- 
tershire, particularly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Fairford, 
Bourton  on  the  water,  Stow,  and  some  other  places.  The 
most  eminent  cavaliers,  embittered  persecutors,  rode  about 
armed  with  swords  and  pistols,  ransacked  their  houses  and 
abused  their  families  in  a  most  violent  marmer. 

"  In  the  county  of  Wilts,  and  diocess  of  Salisbury,  our 
brethren  were  persecuted  with  great  severity.  Bishop 
Ward  often  disturbed  their  meetings  in  person,  and  en,- 
couraged  his  clergy  to  follow  his  example.  Informers 
were  every  where  at  work,  and  having  crept  into  religious 
assemblies  in  disguise,  levied  great  sums  of  money  upon 
ministers  and  people.  Soldiers  broke  into  honest  farmers' 
houses,  under  pretence  of  searching  for  conventicles,  and 
where  ready  money  was  wanting,  plundered  their  goods, 
drove  away  their  catde,  and  sold  them  a  great  deal  under 
their  value.  Many  of  these  sordid  creatures  spent  their 
profits  in  ill  houses  upon  lewd  women,  and  then  went  about 
again  to  hunt  for  more  prey. 

"  The  Baptist  church  at  Calne  suffered  much;  having 
been  often  disturbed  when  they  assembled  in  their  meet- 
ing house  ;  in  order  to  avoid  fresh  troubles  they  sometimes 
met  at  a  mill,  called  Moses'  Mill,  a  little  distance  from  the 
town,  and  at  other  times  under  a  large  white-thorn  bush, 
upon  the  brow  of  a  hill,  in  a  field  called  Shiepfield,  about 
two  miles  from  the  tow'n.  The  bush  has  ever  since  been 
called  Gospel  Bush  ;  but  only  some  very  small  branches  of 
it  remain. 

"  The  Baptists  in  Lincolnshire  were  persecuted  with 
savage  rage.  Not  less  than  one  hundred  of  them  were 
imprisoned,  some  for  hearing,  and  others  for  preaching  the 
word  of  God.  They  endured  not  less  than  three  hundred 
levies  for  fines.  Some  for  two  pence  a  week,  others  for 
10,  20,  40,  and  60 1.  w  hereby  many  were  reduced  to  great 

VOL.    T.  27 


210  Comentick  Act. 

poverty,  and  others  driven  from  home.  Presentments  and 
excommunications,  they  had  several  hundreds,  and  indict- 
ments at  the  assizes  and  sesbions  upon  the  statute  for  two 
pence  per  week,  and  twenty  pounds  a  month,  not  less  than 
a  thousand. 

"  Mr.  Robert  Shakier,  of  Croft,  in  the  said  count)'-,  was, 
long  confined  in  prison,  and  dying  soon  after  his  release 
from  it,  was  interred  in  the  common  burying  ground 
amongst  Iris  ancestors.  The  same  day  he  was  buried,  cer- 
tain of  the  inhabitants  of  Croft,  opened  his  giave,  took  up 
his  corpse,  and  dragged  it  upon  a  sledge  to  his  own  gates, 
aiid  there  left  it  unburied  ! 

*'  In  short,  there  was  not  a  protestant  dissenting  congre- 
gation in  the  kingdom  but  were  grievously  harassed,  not 
a  zealous  Baptist  but  had  a  double  mess  of  persecution. 
From  the  restoration  of  Charles  I.I.  to  the  revolution  under 
William  III.  a  space  of  twenty-nine  years,  more  than  sixty 
thousand  people  suffered  for  religion,  were  plundered  of 
two  millions  of  money,*  and  eight  or  ten  thousand  of  them 
died  in  gaol.  Very  many  of  the  sufferers  were  Baptists  ; 
but  they  cheerfully  endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame, 
stood  fast  in  the  Lord,  asid  served  God  acceptably  with 
reverence  and  srodlv  fear." 

These  legal  robberies  and  outrageous  proceedings  ap- 
pear to  have  been  carried  on  under  the  sanction  of  a  Con- 
venticle Act,  which  received  the  royal  assent  in  1670.  By 
this  act  it  was  decreed  that  the  preachers  or  teachers  in  any 
conventicle  should  forfeit  twenty  pounds  for  the  first  and 
forty  for  the  second  offence.  And  those  who  suffered  any 
conventicles  in  their  honses,  barns,  yards,  &c.  were  to  for- 
feit tv\  enty .  Smaller  fines  were  levied  upon  all  over  sixteen 
years  of  age,  who  were  found  at  conventicles.  One  third 
of  the  money  collected  of  the  conventicleers,  was  to  go  to 
the  informer  or  his  assistants.  This  held  out  a  powerful 
motive  to  avaricious  bigots  to  pillage  their  innocent  neigh- 
bours, and  some  acquired  considerable  fortunes  from  thc- 
sT)oils  of  the  poor  afflicted  people  of  God.  One  Thomas 
B.ittison,  an  old  church  waiden,  engaged  with  much  assi- 
duity in  this  unrighteous  mode  of  procuring  wealth.     But 

•  Ncal,  in  his  history  of  the  Puritans,  vol.  ii,  p.  759,  mentions  that  the  dam- 
apes  sustained  by  the  non-conformists,  were  two  millions  in  three  years  And 
if  they  were  in  tlie  siune  proportion  from  the  restoration  to  tlie  revolution, 
Crosby  is  not  mistaken  when  lie  computes  the  sum  total  at  neai-  twenty  millions. 


Eminent  Men  among  the  Baptists.  211 

the  indignation  of  the  populace  was  excited  against  him,  and 
ivhile  he  M-as  attemptingtodistrain  the  goods  of  one  John  Bur- 
dolf,  in  \\hich,  however,  he  did  not  succeed,  they  tied  a  calf's 
tail  to  hib  back,  and  then  derided  him  with  shouts  and  halloos, 
as  he  was  going  off  to  another  place.  Soon  after  he  took  a 
brass  kettle  from  one  Edward  Covington  ;  but  when  he  had 
brought  it  to  the  street  door,  none  of  the  officers  would  carry- 
it  awav  ;  neither  could  he  hire  any  to  do  it  in  two  hours 
time,  though  he  offered  money  to  such  needy  persons 
among  the  company  as  wanted  bread.  At  last  he  got  a 
youth  lor  sixpence  to  carry  the  kettle  less  way  than  a 
stone's  throw,  to  an  inn-yard,  where  he  had  before  hired  a 
room  to  lodge  such  goods  under  pretence  to  lodge  grain  ; 
but  when  tlie  youth  had  carried  the  kettle  to  the  inn-gate, 
being  hooted  at  all  the  way  by  the  common  spectators,  the 
inn-keeper  would  not  suffer  the  kettle  to  be  brought  into 
his  yard  ;  and  so  his  man  set  it  out  in  the  middle  of  the 
street,  none  regarding  it,  till  towards  night  a  poor  woman 
that  received  alms  was  caused  by  an  overseer  to  carry  it 
away. 

These  proceedings  were  in  the  town  of  Bedford,  and  al- 
though the  people  were  against  the  distrainers,  yet  they 
had  law  on  their  side,  and  made  terrible  havock  with  the 
property  of  all,  who  had  been  guilty  of  the  atrocious  crime 
of  meeting  in  houses  and  barns  to  worship  the  God  of 
heaven. 

Our  limits  forbid  us  to  pursue  any  further  the  narrative 
of  the  suffcriiig's  of  our  English  brethren  in  these  times  of 
cruelty  and  oppression. 

We  shall  now  take  notice  of  some  of  the  most  distin- 
guished characters  among  the  English  Baptists,  from  the 
beginning  to  the  present. 

"it  was  not  long  after  the  Particular  Baptists  had  found- 
ed distinct  churches,  when  Mr.  Hajisard  Knollis,  who  had 
been  graduated  at  Cambridge,  formed  a  Baptist  church  in 
London,  in  the  year  1641,  and  presided  over  it  till  his 
death  in  1692.  About  the  same  period  Mr.  Francis  Corn- 
well,  M.  A.  of  Emanuel  College,  Cambridge,  embraced 
the  Baptist  sentiments,  and  became  pastor  of  a  church  at 
Marden  in  Kent. 

"  Before  this,  Mr.  Benjamin  Coxe,  a  bishop's  son,  and 
a  graduate  of  one  of  the  universities,  had  joined  the  Bap- 


212  Eminent  Men  among  the  Baptists. 

tists,  by  which  he  lost  all  the  preferments  he  might  have, 
obtained  in  the  church. 

"  There  were  also  at  this  time  Mr.  Henry  Denne,  Mr. 
Christopher  Blackwood,  Mr.  Daniel  D\ke,  Mr.  Francis 
Bampfield,  and  others  ;  who  were  much  distinguished  for 
their  learning  and  usefulness,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  1. 

"  Another  eminent  person  was  Mr.  John  Tombes,  b.  d, 
of  whom  even  his  enemies  speak  in  terms  of  high  com- 
rnendation.  Dr.  Wail,  in  his  history  of  infant  baptism, 
says,  *'  of  the  professed  Antipedobaptists,  Mr.  Tombes  was 
a  man  of  the  best  parts  in  our  nation,  and  perhaps  in  any 
other. 

*'  All  these,  and  many  besides,  had  good  livings  in  the 
Established  Church,  but  left  it  either  before  or  at  the  pass- 
ing the  Act  of  Uniformity  in  1662. 

*'  Another  learned  nia'i  was  Mr.  Henry  Jesse,  who  had 
been  for  several  years  the  pastor  of  the  first  Independent 
Church ,  but  bting  convinced  of  the  error  of  infant  bap- 
tism, was  baptized  in  1645,  and  was  a  very  useful  minis- 
ter in  London  for  many  years.  He  had  inidcrtaken  and  al- 
most compltted  a  new  translation  of  the  Bible,  beins;  dis- 
satisfied with  the  present  received  version,  on  account  of 
the  ecclesiastical  words  introduced  or  retained  by  the  ec- 
clesiastical divines,  at  the  command  of  Jumes  I.  This 
work  he  made  the  master  study  of  his  liie,  and  v^-ould  of- 
ten exclaim,  "  O,  that  I  might  finish  it  before  1  die.'' 
This,  however,  was  denied  him. 

"  Another  person  of  great  reputation  was  Charles  Maria 
Du\  eil,  D.  D.  by  birth  a  Jew,  but  embracing  Christianity. 
After  passing  through  the  church  of  Rome,  and  the  church 
of  England,  he  settled  as  pastor  of  a  Baptist  church  in 
Gracechurch  street,  London.  He  was  much  supported  by 
many  of  the  dignified  clergy,  notwithstaiuhng  the  change 
of  his  sentiments  ;  among  whom  were  Dr.  Stillingfleet, 
bishop  of  Worcester,  Dt .  Sharp,  dean  of  Norwich,  Dr. 
Tillotson,  dean  of  St.  Paul's,  afterwards  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  Dr.  Simon  Patrick,  bishop  of  Ely,  and 
William  Lloyd,  bishop  of  St.  Asaph.  He  published  a 
literal  exposition  of  the  gospels  of  Mark  and  Luke  ;  also 
of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  and  the  minor  prophets. 

"  There  was  Mr.  John  Gosnold,  pastor  of  a  church  in 
Barbican,   London  ;    who  was  eminently  learned,  and  ^ 


William  Kiffin,  213 

-very  popular  preacher,  much  esteemed  and  valued  by  men 
of  note  and  dignity  in  the  estabiislicd  chLirch.  He  was 
intimately  acquainted  with  Dr.  Tillot-.o  i,  who  was  fre- 
quently his  hearer.  Dr.  Calamy  says,  he  wa:>  bred  in  the 
Charter-house  school,  and  in  Pembroke-hall,  Cambridge  ; 
and  was  afterwards  chaplain  to  Lord  Grey. 

"  Another  learned  man  of  this  deiiomiiiation,  was  the 
famous  Thomas  Delaune,  who  was  a  minister  and  school- 
master in  London  ;  and  who,  it  is  well  known,  ftll  a  vic- 
tim to  the  cause  of  non-conformity  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  II." 

William  KiSn  was  one  of  the  earliest  promoters  of  the 
Particular  Baptists,  and  a  distinguished  minister  among 
them.  He  was  one  of  the  few  Ba[;tist  ministers,  on  whom 
the  Disposer  of  all  events  saw  fit  to  bestow  much  of  the 
possessions  and  honours  of  the  world.  He  was  personally 
known  to  both  Charles  il,  and  James  his  successor. 
Crosby  informs  us  that  it  was  currently  reported,  that 
when  Charles  wanted  money,  he  sent  to  iVIr.  Kiilin  to 
borrow  of  him  forty  t/iousand  pounds  ;  that  Mr.  Kiiiia 
pleaded  in  excuse  he  had  not  so  much,  but  told  the  mes- 
senger, if  it  would  be  of  any  service  to  his  majesty,  he 
would  present  him  with  teii  thousand ;  that  is,  upwards  of 
forty  thousand  dollars  ;  the  which  was  accepted,  and  Mr. 
Kiffin  afterwards  said  he  had  saved  thereby  thirty  thousand 
pounds.  Mr.  Kiffin  had  great  influence  at  court,  and  was 
enabled  to  render  essential  service  to  his  brethren.  By 
his  means  the  wicked  and  scurrilous  pamphlet,  entitled, 
Baxter  baptized  in  bloody  was  examined  and  condemned  ; 
and  by  his  intercession  also,  twelve  Baptists,  who  had 
been  condemned  todeath  atiVylesbury,  received  the  king's 
pardon.  But  with  all  his  wealth  and  iiifiuence  he  was  a 
meek  and  modest  man. 

Two  of  his  grandsons,  viz.  Benjamin  and  William 
Hewling,  young  gentlemen  of  great  fortunes,  of  accom-, 
plished  education,  and  of  eminent  piety,  were  concerned  in 
the  ill-timed  and  ill-fated  expedition  of  the  Duke  of  Mon- 
mouth, which  terminated  in  the  destruction  of  almost  all 
who  had  any  hand  in  it.  The  grandfather  and  father  of 
the  late  Dr.  Giffi)rd  of  London,  were  also  deeply  engaged 
in  this  unhappy  aflPair.  And  at  this  time  perished  in  the 
flames  a  distinguished  Baptist  woman  by  the  name  of  JEliz. 


214  William  Kiffin, 

abeth  Gaunt.  Her  crime  was  that  of  harbouring  one  of 
the  rebels,  who,  with  the  basest  ingratitude,  turned  evi- 
dence against  her.  She  was  condemned  for  treason,  and 
therefore  died  rather  a  patriot  than  a  martyr.  But  it  is 
said  b}^  bishop  Burnet,  that  there  was  no  evidence  that  she 
knew  that  her  traitorous  guest  was  a  rebel  except  his  own. 

But  many  of  the  church  of  England,  of  Presbyterians, 
Independents,  and  Baptists,  were  zealously  engaged  for 
tlie  Duke  of  Monmouth,  and  many  fell  by  the  means  of 
the  cruel  Jeffries  and  others. 

But  to  return  to  Mr.  Kiffin :  He  was  nominated  by 
James  H.  for  one  of  the  aldermen  of  the  city  of  London 
in  his  new  charter.  But  this  was  an  honour  which  the 
old  Baptist  Elder  by  no  means  desired.  Waiting  on  the 
king  by  his  request  he  addressed  him  as  follows  :  "  Sire, 
I  am  a  very  old  man,  and  have  withdrawn  myself  from  all 
kinds  of  business  for  some  years  past,  and  am  incapable 
of  doing  any  service  in  such  an  affair  to  your  majesty  in 

the  city.     Besides,  Sire" the  old  man  went  on,  fixing 

his   eyes    steadfastly    on  the  king,    while  the  tears   ran 

down  his  cheeks "  the  death  of  my  grandsons  gave  a 

wound  to  my  heart  which  is  still  bleeding,  and  never  will 
close  but  in  the  grave." 

The  king  was  deeply  struck  by  the  manner,  the  freedom, 
and  the  spirit  of  this  unexpected  rebuke.  A  total  silence 
ensued,  while  the  galled  countenance  of  James  seemed  to 
shrink  from  the  horrid  remembrance.  In  a  minute  or  two, 
however,  he  recovered  himself  enough  to  say,  "  Mr.  Kiffin, 
I  shall  find  a  balsam  for  that  sore,"  and  he  immediately 
turned  about  to  a  lord  in  waiting. 

Mr.  Kiffin  was  now  in  great  trials ;  to  accept  the  office 
of  alderman  was  much  against  his  inclination,  and  to  refuse, 
he  had  learnt,  would  be  dangerous.  "  I  went,"  says  he, 
"  to  the  ablest  council  for  advice,  and  stating  my  case  to 
him,  he  told  me  my  danger  was  every  way  great,  for  if  I 
accepted  to  be  an  alderman,  I  ran  the  hazard  of  five  hun- 
dred pounds,  and  if  I  did  not  accept,  as  the  judges  then  . 
were,  I  might  be  fined  by  them  ten,  or  twenty,  or  thirty 
thousand  pounds,  even  what  they  pleased.  So  that  I 
thought  it  better  for  me  to  run  the  lesser  hazard  of  five 
hundred  pounds,  which  was  certain,  than  be  exposed  to 
such  fines  as  might  be  the  ruin   of  myself  and  family." 


Gen.  Harrison., .,CoL  Hutchinson. ...Benj.  Keach.      215 

Accordingly  after  waiting  some  time  in  suspense,  he  ac- 
cepted the  office  ;  but  things  were  soon  changed  by  the 
coming  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  and  this  aged  minister 
was  reUevcd  from  his  burdens  and  snares.  Crosby  men- 
tions that  there  were  four  other  Baptists  made  aldermen  at 
the  same  time,  but  I  have  not  learnt  their  names. 

Among  the  judges  and  regicides  of  Charles  I.  were  two 
eminei)t  men,  who  afterwards  became  Baptists.  These 
were  Major  General  Harrison  and  Col.  Hutchinson. 

Harrison  arose  from  obscurity  to  an  elevated  rank  among 
the  heroes  of  the  Commonwealth.  He  was  very  desirous 
to  bring  the  king  to  trial,  and  was  the  officer  who  conduct- 
ed the  English  monarch  before  the  tribunal  which  sentenc- 
ed him  to  lose  his  head  on  the  scaffold.  It  was  not  till  some 
time  after  this  tragical  event  that  he  became  a  Baptist.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  Colonel  Hutchinson.  Both  of  these 
great  men  were  executed  on  the  restoration  of  Cliarles  H. 

About  this  time  lived  the  famous  Benjamin  Keach,  au- 
thor of  the  Scripture  Metaphors,  and  many  other  valuable 
works.  In  1664,  he  was  prosecuted  and  sentenced  to  the 
pillory,  for  publishing  a  work  entitled  The  Child's  In^ 
structer^  or  a  Nevj  and  Easy  Primer.  While  in  the 
pillory,  he  among  other  things  said  to  the  spectators, 
"  Good  people,  I  am  not  ashamed  to  stand  here  this  day, 
with  this  paper  on  my  head.  My  Lord  Jesus  was  not 
ashamed  to  suffer  on  the  cross  for  me,  and  it  is  for  his 
cause  that  I  am  made  a  gazing-stock.  Take  notice,  it  is 
not  for  any  wickedness  that  I  stand  here  ;  but  for  writing 
and  publishing  his  truths,  which  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
hath  revealed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures."  A  clergyman,  who 
stood  by,  could  not  forbear  interrupting  him,  and  said, 
*'  It  is  for  writing  and  publishing  errors  ;  and  you  may 
now  see  what  your  errors  have  brought  you  to."  Mr. 
Keach  replied,  "  Sir,  can  you  prove  them  errors  ?"  But 
before  the  clergyman  could  return  an  answer,  he  was  at- 
tacked by  some  of  the  people,  who  told  him  of  his  being 
*'  pulled  drunk  out  of  a  ditch."  Another  upbraided  him 
with  having  been  found  *'  drunk  under  a  hay-cock."  Up- 
on this  the  people,  turning  their  attention  from  the  sufferer 
in  the  pillory,  laughed  at  the  drunken  priest,  insomuch  that 
he  hastened  away  with  the  utmost  disgrace  and  shajne. 


216  Mr.  Kcacli'sand  Dr.  GiWs  publications, 

Mr.  Keach  was  the  author  of  eighteen  practical  works, 
sorrie  of  them  large,  sixteen  polemical,  and  nine  poetical, 
making  in  all  forty-three  ;  besides  a  number  of  prefaces- 
and  recommendations  for  the  works  of  others. 

Dr.  Gill,  who  was  afterwards  pastor  of  the  same  church, 
was  the  author  of  upwards  of  sixty  different  works,  and 
among  them  was  an  Exposition  of  the  Old  and  New  Tes- 
ment  in  nine  volumes  folio.  Dr.  Rippon,  his  biographer, 
assures  us,  that  had  the  writings  of  this  eminent  man  been 
uniformly  printed  in  the  size  of  his  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment, they  would  have  made  the  astonishing  sum  total  of 
TEN  THOUSAND  folio  pagcs  of  divinity.  Well  might 
Mr.  Shrubsole  give  him  the  title  of  Dr.  Voluminous. 

I  much  regret  that  I  cannot  give  a  more  general  ac- 
count of  the  eminent  characters,  who  have  appeared  at  dif- 
ferent times  among  the  English  Baptists.  They,  I  find, 
mention  among  the  skilful  defenders  of  their  doctrinal  sen- 
timents, Piggot,  the  Stennetts,  the  Wallins,  the  Wilsons, 
Evans,  Brine,  Gill,  Day,  Beddome,  Francis,  Ryland^  and 
Giffbrd  ^^ 

But  few  of  our  American  Baptists  know  that  John  Canne, 
author  of  the  marginal  references  in  the  Bible,  Dr.  Ash,  au- 
thor of  a  Dictionary  and  other  classical  works,  which  bear 
his  name,  Thomas  Wilcox,  author  of  an  excellent  little 
piece  entided  a  Drop  of  Honey  from  the  Rock  Christ,  and 
Wintcrbottom,  autr^or  of  the  View  of  America,  were  of 
their  sentiments.  Miss  Steele,  the  author  of  those  excel- 
lent hymns,  which  a])pear  in  our  collections,  was,  I  find  by 
a  hint  in  Morgan  Edwards's  list,  the  daughter  of  a  Baptist 
minister  in  the  county  of  Hampshire. 

At  different  periods  in  the  seventeenth  century,  there 
were  many  long  public  disputes  held  by  appointment  be- 
tween the  Baptists  and  Pfdo-baptists  on  the  subject  of  bap- 
tism ;  the  last  dispute  of  this  kind  of  any  considerable 
consequence,  appears  to  have  been  held  at  Portsmouth,  in 
1699/  Mr.  John  Tombes,  Dr.  Rnssel,  Mr.  Jeremiah 
Ives,  and  others,  v^ere  famous  disputants  for  the  Baptists, 
and  Dr.  Featley,  Mr.  Baxter,  and  Mr.  Chandler  and  others, 
for  the  Pedo-baptists. 

There  is  a  pleasant  anecdote  related  of  Jeremiah  Ives,  in 
one  of  Ills  public  dispntations,  of  which   in  the  History  of 

•  English  Baptist  Magazine,  No.  21,  p.  ^Sr. 


Anecdotes  of  Mr.  Iijes  a?id  a  learned  Priest.         217 

Baptism,  we  promised  to  give  some  more  particular  ac- 
count. Mr.  Ives  by  his  many  disputations  became  so 
noted  that  Charles  II.  sent  for  him  to  dispute  with  a  Rom- 
ish priest.  He  accepted  the  invitation  and  maintained  a 
dispute  before  the  king,  and  many  others,  in  the  habit  of  a 
clergyman.  "  -Ives  pressed  the  priest  closely,  shewing, 
that  whatever  antiquity  they  pretended  to,  their  doctrine 
and  practices  could  by  no  means  be  proved  apostolical, 
since  they  are  not  to  be  found  in  any  writings,  which  re- 
main of  the  apostolic  age.  The  priest,  after  much  wrang- 
ling, in  the  end  replied,  "  That  this  argument  of  Mr.  Ives* 
was  of  as  much  force  against  infant  baptism,  as  against  the 
doctrines  and  ceremonies  of  the  church  of  Rome."  To 
which  Mi.  Ives  replied,  "  that  he  readily  granted  what  he 
said  to  be  true."  The  priest  upon  this  broke  up  the  dis- 
pute, saying,  "  he  had  been  cheated,  and  that  he  would 
proceed  no  flirther,  for  he  came  to  dispute  with  a  clergy- 
man of  the  established  church,  and  it  was  now  evident  that 
this  was  an  Anabaptist  preacher."  This  behaviour  of  the 
priest  afforded  his  majesty  and  all  present  not  a  little  diver- 
sion. Mr.  Ives  was  pastor  of  a  baptized  congregation  in 
the  Old  Jewry,  between  thirty  and  forty  years  ;  was  well 
beloved,  and  bore  a  fair  character  to  his  dying  day.* 

We  read  of  another  dispute  held  between  a  Baptist  min- 
ister whose  name  is  not  mentioned,  and  a  clergyman  of  the 
established  church.  The  clergymnn  insisted  that  the  dis- 
pute should  be  in  Latin  ;  but  the  B  iptist  minister  pleaded 
for  its  being  in  Engh:ih,  that  it  might  be  to  the  edification 
of  the  audience.  But  the  clergyman  still  persisted  in  his 
demand,  and  laid  down  his  arguments  in  Latin.  Fortu- 
natelv  the  illiterate  Baptist  w^as  an  Irishman^  and  answered 
in  Irish'  The  clergyman,  surprised  at  the  learning  of  his 
antagonist,  ingenuously  confessed  tliat  he  did  not  understand 
Greek  .  and  therefore  desired  him  to  reply  in  Latin. 
*'  Well,"  says  the  B  iptist,  "  seeing  you  cannot  dispute  in 
Greek,  I  ivill  not  Ai^T^uit  in  Latin  ;  let  us  therefore  dis- 
pute in  English,  and  leave  the  company  to  judge."  But 
the  pedantic  priest  still  plead  for  an  unknown  tongue,  and 
.thus  the  dispute  was  frustrated. 

VOL.  I.  28 

*  Crosby,  vol.  iv.  p.  2*18. 


218    Controversies  about  Laying-on-of- hands  and  Singing. 

A  little  while  after  the  year  1670  it  appears  a  controver- 
sy arose  among  the  Baptists  in  England  about  the  practice 
of  lay  iiig  on  of  hands,  which  occasioned  no  little  trouble 
among  them.  The  famous  Danvers  wrote  against  the 
practice.  But  Keach  wrote  in  defence  of  it,  as  did  Tho- 
mas Grantham,  a  General  Baptist.  Others  doubtless  wrote 
on  both  sides  of  the  subject,  but  these  men  seem  to  have 
taken  the  lead  in  the  controversy.  How  many  churches 
now  practise  the  laying  on  of  hands,  I  am  not  informed, 
but  I  conclude  not  many. 

Sometime  after  this  there  was  a  controversy  among  our 
English  brethren,  respecting  the  propriety  of  singing  in 
public  worship,  and  many  pieces  were  written  for  and 
against  it.  But  by  pursuing  prudent  measures,  this  con- 
troversy was  quieted,  and  the  practice  of  singing  was 
adopted  by  many  churches,  which  had  formerly  neglected 
it.  and  I  conclude  now  generally  prevails.  Some  of  the 
Baptists,  who  emigrated  to  America,  brought  over  with 
them  from  their  mother  country,  a  prejudice  against  singing 
in  public  worship,  and  in  some  places,  especially  in  Rhode- 
Island,  there  have  been  found,  until  within  a  few  years 
past,  a  few  ministers,  who  would  not  adopt  the  practice.- 
They  did  not,  like  the  Quakers,  oppose  singing  altogether  ; 
they  held  christians  should  sing  to  themselves,  &cc.  but  not 
with  conjoined  'Doices  in  public  assemblies. 

I  know  not  what  arguments  those  Baptists  brought 
against  singing  in  public,  who  omitted  the  practice.  I 
am  inclined  to" think,  however,  that  the  custom  originated 
in  times  of  persecution,  when  they  were  obliged  to  hold 
their  meetings  with  the  greatest  secrecy.  Singing  uas 
ther)  from  necessity  dispensed  with,  and  it  is  probable^ 
that  those  who  came  after  thought  it  inexpedient  and  im- 
proper. 

Open  communion  is  now  generally  opposed  by  the  Par- 
ticular Baptists,  and  although  the  General  Baptists  arc 
more  lax  than  they  in  their  doctrinal  sentiments,  yet  I  be- 
lieve they  are  equally  strenuous  in  their  terms  of  commu- 
nion. But  before  th^;  Baptists  began  to  form  churches,  and 
indeed  for  some  time  after,  it  was  a  very  common   thing 

*  I  know  not  as  there  is  now  any  Baptist  minister  in  Rhode-Island,  that 
opposes  singing-,  or  any  Baptist  cong-reg'ation  that  neg-lects  it  ;  but  tlieir 
posterity  remain  in  diiferent  parts  of  the  State,  by  whom  I  have  bcQn  asked 
if  I  was  a  Sir^lvg  Baptist. 


open  Communion  not  practised..:. Literary  Titles.     219 

fur  them  to  travel  in  communion  jvith  Pedo-baptist 
churches.  Different  reasons  may  be  assigned  for  their  so 
doing.  At  first  there  were  no  Baptist  churches  for  ihem 
to  join.  And  after  churches  began  to  Tje  estabiisned, 
many  were  brought  to  embrace  beUever's  baptism  in  situa- 
tions remote  from  them.  And  others  doubtless  continued 
in  their  old  churches  after  they  had  been  baptized,  without 
much  consideration  on  the  subject.  We  do  not  find  that 
many  churches  founded  by  the  Baptists  held  to  open  com- 
munion, and  had  they,  no  harm  nor  benefit  would  have 
resulted  from  it,  for  they  were  generally  so  despised  and 
perr.ecuted,  that  ic\w  Pedo-baptists  would  be  seen  in  their 
churches.* 

In  the  times  of  which  we  are  speaking,  the  Baptists 
were  not  stunned  with  a  continual  din  of  entreaties  torunite 
in  the  Pedo-baptist  communion,  but  they  were  admitted  to 
it  as  a  mere  m.itter  of  favour  and  indulgence,  which  but 
iGW  would  grant.  But  we  are  informed  that  the  good 
Doctors  Watts  and  Doddridge,  admitted  Baptists  to  their 
communion,  and  treated  them  with  kindness  and  respect. f 

That  wealthy  and  benevolent  Baptist,  Thomas  Hollis, 
the  liberal  benefactor  of  Cambridge  College,  near  Boston, 
was  a  member  of  a  Pedo-baptist  church. 

In  the  early  times  of  the  Baptists  in  England,  some  few, 
v.'ho  had  been  created  Doctors  in  Divinity,  and  a  number 
^vho  had  received  inferior  titles,  left  the  establishment,  and 
imited  with  these  despised  people.  In  later  times  a  con- 
siderable number  hme  been  honoured  vvith  the  diploma  of 
D.  D.  and  a  few  u'ith  L.  L.  D.  from  Scotland  and  Ameri- 
ca. By  the  English  Universities  no  honour  of  this  kind 
can  be  bestowed  upon  any  dissenters  whatever. 

We  have  thus  endeavoured  to  bring  to  view  a  few  of 
the  ancient  worthies  among  the  English  Biptists.  A  great 
many  others,  eminent  for  learning,  piety,  suffering,  and 
usefulness,  we  are  obliged  from  the  scantiness  of  our  limits 
to  omit.  I  am  inclined  to  think  there  are  at  present  three 
or  four  hundred  ministers  in  the  churches  of  the  Particu- 

•  "  The  people  of  this  persuasion"  says  Neal,  in  his  history  of  the  Puritans, 
vol.  ii.  p.  112,  "  were  more  exposed  to  the  public  resentment,  because  they 
'vvould  hold  communion  with  none  but  such  as  had  been  dipped.  All  must 
pass  under  this  cloud  before  they  could  be  received  into  their  churches  ;  and 
the  same  narrow  spirit  prevails  too  crenerally  among-  them  even  to  this  day.** 
(1733) 

I  Rippon's  Register. 


220         Seminaries  of  Learning. ...Bristol  Academy. 

lar  Baptists.  Many  of  them,  probably,  like  their  brethren 
in  America,  have  had  but  moderate  advantages  for  educa- 
tion, and  receive  but  a  scanty  support  for  their  services. 
But  there  are  some,  whose  talents,  learning,  popularity, 
and  usefulness,  are  not  excelled  by  any  ministers  in  the 
kingdom . 

Many  of  the  Baptists  in  England  have  for  a  long  lime 
made  laudable  exertions  to  promote  the  cause  of  lemming 
among  their  denomination,  and,  besides  smaller  issstitu- 
tions,  have  established  three  seminaries,  to  which  they  have 
given  the  name  of  Academies.  The  oldest  is  at  Bristol, 
the  second  at  Bradford,  and  the  third  at  Stepne}  -Green, 
near  London. 


BRISTOL      academy; 

In  1795,  Dr.  Rippon  read  before  The  Bristol  Education 
Society,  a  brief  essay  tou  ards  the  histor}-  of  the  Bnptist 
Academy  at  Bristol,  which  is  inserted  in  his  Register. 
From  this  essay  I  shall  select  a  few  sketches  of  the  history 
of  this  institution.  Its  foundation  appears  to  have  been 
laid  by  the  General  Assembly  of  Buprists  in  1689.  At 
this  convention  they  resolved  to  raise  a  fund  or  stock  lor 
different  purposes,  one  of  which  was  to  assist  in  the  educa- 
tion of  young  men  of  promising  gifts,  &c.  The  first  stu- 
dent, who  was  educated  at  Bristol,  Mas  Richard  Samp- 
son, a  member  of  the  church  at  Plymouth.  After  he  had 
finished  his  studies  he  became  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Exeter  where  he  died  in  1716.  Mr.  Sampson  was  much 
esteemed  by  Sir  Isaac  Newton  ;  and  so  strong  was  his 
memory,  that  one  day  v\  hen  the  conversation  tm^ned  on  the 
depriving  good  men  again  of  their  Bibles,  Sir  Isaac  said, 
"they  cannot  possibly  deprive  Mr.  S.impson  of  his,  for 
he  has  it  all  treasured  up  within  him."  The  first  students 
of  the  Academy  of  which  we  are  speaking  were  assisted 
by  yearly  collections  from  the  churches,  and  they  studied 
not  always  at  Bristol,  but  sometimes  at  London,  at  Taun- 
ton, Tewkesbury  and  elsewhere,  for  as  yet  no  permanent 
society  hiA  been  formed  to  direct  the  infant  institution, 
nor  was  it  confined  to  any  particular  plnce.  Mr.  Edward 
Terrill  is  considered  the  lather  and  founder  of  the  Acade- 
my, which  his  benevolence  was  the  means  of  fixing  in  the 


Bristol  Education  Society.  221 

city  of  Bristol.  "  He  left  something  considerable  to  the 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Broadniead,  for  the  time  being, 
provided  that  he  were  qualified  for  the  business,  and  de- 
voted a  part  of  his  time  to  the  instruction  of  young  stu- 
dents, &:c."  We  soon  after  learn  that  Caleb  Jope  was 
chosen  to  educate  young  men  ;  but  with  the  names  of  the 
students  who  were  under  his  care,  says  Dr.  Rippon,  1  am 
totally  in  the  dark. 

Bernard  Fohkett  was  the  next  tutor  of  this  rising  sem- 
inar}-, and  acted  in  that  capacity  between  twenty  and 
thirty  years.  The  number  of  students  under  him  was 
.sixty  four,  just  half  of  them  were  Welshmen,  and  the  oih- 
er  English  Among  these  students  were  Benjamin  Bed- 
dome,  A.  M.  Benjamin  Francis,  A.  M.  Morgan  Jones, 
L.  L.  D.  Thomas  Llewelyn,  L.  L.  D.  John  Ash,  L.  L.  D. 
Robert  Day,  A.  M.  John  Ryland,  A.  M.  and  Hugh 
Evans,  A.  M.  who  succeeded  Mr.  Foskett  in  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Academy.  Next  to  him  was  his  son  Caleb 
Evans,  D.  D.  and  his  successor  was  John  Ryland,  D.  D. 
■who  is  still  at  the  head  of  this  important  establishment. 
Respecting  the  usual  number  of  students  in  the  Bristol 
Academy,  its  funds,  its  library,  and  other  ubual  appen- 
dages of  literary  institutions,  I  have  not  been  able  to  gain 
any  satisfactory  information.  Neither  am  I  acquainted 
wuth  its  internal  economy  and  regulations.  I  conclude, 
however,  that  none  are  admitted  to  this  Academy,  but 
such  as  have  either  began  to  preach  or  are  promising 
for  the  ministry,  and  that  those,  who  are  needy,  are  sup- 
ported either  wholly  or  in  part,  as  their  circumstances  re- 
quire. Connected  with  this  Academy  is  the  Bristol  Edu- 
cation Societv,  which  was  formed  in  1770,  and  has  con- 
tributed greatly  towards  augmenting  its  pecuniary  re- 
sources.* 

•  The  followln,^  statement  is  found  in  Rippon's  Register,  No.  xlv. 

A    Copy  of  the   Table  of  Benefactors,  in  the  Museum  belonging  to  the  Bristol 
JCducation  Society. 

Those  marked  thus  (*)  subscribed  annually  1/,  1  s.  The  sums  directly 
after  the  names  were  also  annual  subscriptions  ;  the  larger  sums  were  original 
benefactions. 

£       ^■ 

1770     Frederick  Bull,  Esq.  London,  51.  5s.  annually,         -         -      150    00 
Thomas  Sparr}',  sen.  Upton,         ....  -  lOO    00 

Rebekah  jLippuicott,  VVellingtoT),  -        .        .        -  50    00 


222 


Bristol  Education  Society. 


From  this  Academy  have  proceeded  many  useibl  minis- 


ters and  eminent  characters.      Manv 


of  them  have  gone 


irro 


1774, 

1775 

1777 

1778 
1779 
1780 

1781 
1782 

1783 

17S4> 


1785 

1787 
1789 
1790 
1791 


1792 

1793 
1794 
1795 


Robert  Houlton,  Esq.  Grittleton,   51.  5s.        -        •         . 
Joseph  Tomkins,  Esq.  Abingdon,  5i.  5s.         -         - 
William  Tomkins,  Esq.     do.     5/.  5*.         -         -         - 
Joseph  Butler,  Esq.  do.     5t.  5s.         -         -         - 

John  Bull,  Esq.  Bristol,  21.  2s.         -         -         -         - 

Francis  Bull,  Esq.     do.     21.  2s.         .         .         -         . 

John  Collett,  do.     10/.    10s. 

John  Stock,  do.     51.  5s.        -        . 

Thomas  Bunn,  Frome,*  -  -  .         .         - 

William  Steele,  Esq    Broug-hlon,  2/.  2.s. 

Baptist  Church,  Lyming-ton,  -  .  .  . 

Rev.  Hugh  Evans,  M.  A.*     'p 

Rev.  Caleb  Evans,  M.  A.*     (.Tutors  to  the  Institution. 

Rev.  James  Newton,  M.  A*     j 

John  Houlton,  Esq.  Seagry,  o/.  5s. 

Rev.  Thomas  Dunscombe,  Coate,*  -  • 

Ann  Callwell,  Chesham,  .... 

Susannah   Callwell,     do.     10/.  10^. 

Thomas  Llewelyn,  Esq.  L.  L.  D.  London, 

Stephen    Williams,     do.  ...... 

Rev.  Samuel  Stennett,    D.  D.*     do. 

Ebenezer  HoUick,  Esq.   Witser,  2/.  2s. 

Elizabeth   Durban,  Bristol,  -  .  .  > 

Abraham  Elton,  Esq.     do.  .  .  .  - 

John  Crammont,  Leicester,     (a  legacy.) 

Rev.  Isaac  Woodman,  Sutton,     (a  legacy.) 

John  Holmes,  Esq.  Exon,  .  -  -  - 

Rev.  Andrew  Gifibrd,  D.  D.   London, 

John  8c  William  Parsons,  Esqrs.  Chichester,  21.  2s. 

George  Wilkinson,  London,  .  .  -  • 

William  Deanc,  Plymouth,     (a  legacy.)         -         -         - 

John  Reynolds,  Barbican,  21.  23.  - 

llev.   Andrew  Bennett,  Barbadoes,         .         .         .  ■ 

Diana  Munt,  Tiverton,     (a  legacy.)         .         _         -         ■ 

James  Hewardine,  Arnsby,     (a  legacy.) 

Hester  Bull,  Bristol,*        '     -  -  -  - 

Thomas  Llewelyn,  Esq.  L.  L.  D.  London,  ^ 

(a  legacy)  consisting  of  his  library,  which  C  -       - 

cost  more  than  3 

Rev.  Andrew  GifTord,  D.  D.  London, "p 

(a  legacy)  consisting  of  his  library,  >         -         '       ' 

pictures,  coins,  &c.  estimated  at        J) 
Frederick  Bull,  Esq.  the  reversionary  Bequest  of 
John  Thornton,  Esq.  Clapham,         ... 
John  Austic,  Esq.  Devizes,  -  -  -         - 

John  Davis,  Calne,  a  reversionary  legacy  of 
John  Cook,  Bristol,     (a  legacy.)         .         .      ,         - 
Rev.  James  Newton,  M.  A.     do.     (a  legacy.) 
William  Thomas,   Hutchin,     (a  legacy)         .         .  - 

John  Edmunds,  Fairford,  a  Reversionary  > 

legacyof  200/ 3  per  cent.  Consols-Stock,  3 
Ann  ?4oore,  Bristol,  -  -  .         .  - 

Rev.  Johr.  Poynting,  Worcester,     (a  legacy.) 
Rev.   Abraham  Booth,   London,  -  -  - 

Mrs.  Simpkin,  Balby,  .  .  .  .         ■ 

Rev.  Peter  Reece,  Warwick,     (a  legacy.) 


/J" 

21 

00 

25 

5 

25 

5 

41 

00 

15 

15 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

31 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

50 

00 

100 

03 

60 

00 

10 

00 

20 

00 

20 

00 

21 

00 

10 

10 

10 

00 

40 

00 

16 

6 

100 

00 

10 

00 

10 

10 

150 

00 

20 

00 

10 

00 

20 

00 

10 

00 

1500  00 


1000  00 

1000  00 

10  00 

10  10 

50  00 

50  00 

50  00 

50  00 

200  00 

20  00 

200  00 

5  00 

5  00 

100  0(^ 


Northern  Education  Society Stepney-Green,        223 

to  rest,  many  are  now  labouring  among  the  churches  in 
England,  and  a  iQ\N  of  them  are  in  America. 

NORTHERN    EDUCATION    SOCIETY. 

This  society  appears  to  have  commenced  about  1804 
or  1805.  In  the  last  mentioned  year  it  had  raised  by  sub- 
scription and  contribution  a  litde  more  than  eighteen  hun- 
dred pounds  sterling,  not  far  from  eight  thousand  dollars. 
The  resources  of  this  society  were  then  considered  suffi- 
cient to  support  eight  or  nine  students  besides  discharging 
all  other  expenses.  Rev.  William  Steadman,  formerly  of 
Plymouth  Dock,  was  chosen  President  of  the  Academy, 
which  was  fixed  "  for  the  present  at  Bifadford,"  a  town  in 
Yorkshire,  36  miles  S.  W.  of  York,  and  193  N.  N,  W. 
of  Loiidon. 

I  have  obtained  the  proceedings  of  the  annual  meeting 
of  this  society  for  1805,  to  which  is  annexed  a  list  of  the 
names  of  donors  and  subscribers  ;  the  highest  upon  this 
list  is  James  Bury  of  Pendle-hill,  who  gave  the  liberal 
sum  of  five  hundred  pounds  sterling. 

s  T  E  p  N  E  Y  -  G  R  E  E  N  — near  L  ondon. 

A  Baptist  Academy  was  founded  at  this  place,  probably 
about  1810.  We  learn  from  the  Massachusetts  Baptist 
Missionary  Magazine,  that  a  house  and  premises  at  Step- 
ney Green,  near  the  metropolis,  well  fitted  for  an  Acade- 
my, had  been  given  by  a  liberal  individual,  and  that  exer- 
tions were  making  to  establish  a  third  literary  institution 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Baptist  denomination.  But  what  suc- 
cess has  attended  these  exertions  I  have  yet  to  learn  ;  but 
it  is  probable  there  is,  before  this  time,  a  Mcll-endowed 
and  flourishing  Academy  at  Stepney-Green. 

The  exertions  of  the  Baptists  in  England  to  promote 
the  missionary  cause  will  be  noticed  in  the  account  of  the 
India  Mission.  AikI  besides  sending  missionaries  abroad 
they  have  made  exertions  to  promote  itiiierant  preaching 
in  destitute  places  at  home.  Itinerant  societies  have  been 
formed,  and  by  them  many  have  been  assisted  to  travel 
and  labour  with  success  in  diiferent  parts  of.  the  kingdom - 

We  shall  now  close  this  account  with  some  general  ob- 
servations respecting  the  number  of  churches,  Associa 


224      Probable  number  of  Churches  and  Associations, 

tions,  ministers,  and  members  of  the  Particular  Baptists  in 
England. 

We  have  already  shown  that  the  number  of  churches  in 
1798,  was  361  ;  and  in  1790,  it  was  312,  and  in  1768,  it 
was  217.  If  they  have  increased  in  the  same  proportion 
for  fifteen  years  past,  they  must  now  amount  to  about 
four  hundred  and  fifty,  v\hich,  I  conclude  is  not  far 
from  their  number.  I  know  of  no  method  by  which  we 
can  determine,  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  the  number  of 
members  in  these  churches.  Dr.  Rippon,  in  the  notes 
which  are  suljjoined  to  his  list  for  1798,  has  given  the 
number  of  upwards  of  seventy  of  the  smaller  churches, 
which  run  from  eleven  to  a  hundred  and  forty,  but  average 
about  fifty-five.  But  he  informs  us  that  the  ancient 
churches  in  London,  Bristol,  and  elsewhere,  contained 
then  from  a  hundred  and  fifty,  to  three  and  four  hundred, 
and  some  more.  If  we  compute  the  number  of  churches 
at  four  hundred  and  fifty,  and  these  upon  an  average  to 
contain  eighty  members,  it  will  make  the  sum  total  of 
thirty-six  thousand  ;  which  is  probably  not  far  from  the 
number  of  Particular  Baptists  in  England. 

The  number  of  Associations  in  1790,  was  seven,  viz. 
York  and  Lancashire,  Northampton,  Midland,  Kent  and 
Sussex,  Western,  Norfolk  and  Suffolk,  and  Northern. 
Since  then,  have  been  formed  Xwo  others  called  Oxford- 
shire and  Sliropshire.  In  1790,  when  there  were  but  three 
hundred  and  twelve  churches,  one  hundred  and  ninety  of 
them  were  not  associated.  How  many  stand  unassociated 
at  present,  I  have  not  learned. 

Many  of  the  churches  have  no  pastors,  but  in  oth- 
er churches  there  are  a  number  of  ministers  besides  the 
pastor,  so  fhat  on  the  \\  hole  it  is  probable  there  are  as  ma- 
ny ministers  as  churches. 

GENERAL    13AP'XISTS. 

Tiiis  term  has,  from  the  beginning  of  the  reformation, 
been  applied  to  that  class  of  Baptists  in  England,  who 
have  held  universal  redeniption.  The  Particular  Baptists 
are  strictly  Cahinistic  in  their  creed.  But  those  who  arc 
called  General,  lean  to  the  Aiminian  system.  The  for- 
mer hold  that  Christ  died  for  the  elect  oniv,  while  the  Int- 


Churches  began  to  be  founded.  225 

ter  plead  that  the  Saviour  bv  his  death  and  sufferings,  has 
made  salvation  possible  for  all.  Dr.  Fulicr,  the  author  ol 
The  Gospel  worthy  of  all  Acceptation,  i!>  a  Particular  Bap. 
tist  ;  soine  of  his  brethren  have  adopted  his  notion  of  the 
atonement,  others  have  opposed  it,  and  tht:  time  has  been, 
when  he  would  probably  have  been  turned  over  to  the 
General  side. 

Respecting  the  General  Baptists  in  England,  I  have 
been  able  to  gain  but  a  very  little  information.  They  do 
not  appear  to  have  taken  much  pains  to  record  their  own 
history,  and  as  no  others  have  paid  much  regard  to  them, 
but  very  brief  sketches  can  be  given  of  them. 

Mr.  Ivimey  is  of  opinioii  that  the  General  Baptists  be- 
gan to  found  churches  in  England  in  the  sixteenth  century. 
The  church  at  Canterbury  of  this  persuasion,  he  observes, 
is  thought  to  have  existed  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  years, 
and  that  Joan  Boucher,  who  was  burnt  in  the  reign  of 
Edward  VI,  was  a  member  of  it.  This  is  in  the  county 
of  Kent,  and  the  church  at  Eyethorn,  in  the  same  county, 
is,  according  to  this  author,  supposed  to  have  been  found- 
ed more  than  two  hundred  and  thirty  years. 

How  the  General  Baptists  progressed  for  about  a  hun- 
dred years  from  the  founding  of  their  first  churches,  I  find 
no  particular  information,  only  that  they,  with  their  breth- 
ren of  the  Particular  belief,  were  loaded  with  reproaches, 
and  every  where  exposed  to  havock  and  death. 

In  1661,  soon  after  the  restoration  of  Charles  II.  the 
General  Baptists  among  other  dissenters,  presented  an 
address  to  his  majesty,  and  petitioned  for  some  alleviation 
of  their  miseries.  This  address  was  presented  by  Thom- 
as Grantham  ;  it  was  signed  by  forty- one  elders,  deacons, 
and  brethren,  on  behalf  of  themselves  and  many  others  in 
several  counties  of  the  same  faith  with  them,  and  was 
said  to  be  owned  and  approved  by  more  than  twenty 
thousand,  whether  of  their  communicants  or  of  their  friends 
and  adherents  does  not  appear.  But  it  is  evident  that  the 
General  Baptists  were  at  this  time  a  large  and  respectable 
community,  and  among  their  ministers  were  some  of  great 
distinction  and  usefulness. 

By  Morgan  Edwards'  list  before  mentioned,  it  appears 
that  in  1768,  when  there  were  two  hundred  and  seventeeri 

vol.   T.  29 


226      Learned  Men  among  the  General  Baptists. 

of  the  Particular,  there  were  but  sixty-nine  of  the  General 
Baptists,  and  thirty-three  of  them  were  in  Kent  and  Lin- 
cohishire,  the  rest  were  scattered  in  different  parts  of  the 
kingdom. 

I  have  not  seen  any  later  list  of  the  General  Baptists, 
and  have  no  data  by  which  I  can  form  a  very  accurate  es- 
timate of  the  number  of  their  churches,  ministers,  or  mem- 
bers. But  I  conclude  that  they  are  much  below  the  Par- 
ticular Baptists  in  numbers,  energy,  and  influence. 

In  1790,  they  had  three  Associations,  the  Kentish,  the 
Lincolnshire  or  Old- Connexion,  and  the  Leicestershire  or 
New- Association.  And  besides  these  I  find  mention 
made  of  a  General  Assembly  ;  but  whether  this  Assembly 
is  composed  of  delegates  from  the  three  Associations,  or  is 
a  distinct  connexion,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  determine.  There 
are,  moreover,  a  number  of  churches  of  the  General  Bap- 
tists which  are  not  in  any  associate  connexion. 

The  New  or  Leicestershire  Association  in  1790,  con- 
tained thirty-two  churches,  twenty-two  pastors,  twenty- one 
unordained  ministers,  and  two  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  fortv-three  members.  The  church  at  Loughborough 
in  Leicestershire  was  the  largest,  and  contained  three  hun- 
dred and  eight.  Its  ministers  were  Benjamin  Polland  and 
William  Parkinson.  The  church  of  London,  of  which  Dan 
Taylor  was  pastor,  consisted  of  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five.  Allowing  the  other  Associations  to  be  as  large  as 
this,  and  that  there  are  a  considerable  number  of  churches 
unassociated,  the  sum  total  of  the  General  Baptists  may 
amo\mt  to  ten  or  twelve  thousand. 

"  The  General  Baptist  churches  r»-e  not  all  properly 
united  in  one  close  body  any  more  than  the  Particulars." 
Some  believe  more  and  some  less  of  the  leading.maxims 
of  the  General  creed.  And  this  may  be  said  of  all  sects 
and  parties  whatever. 

The  General  Baptists  appear  to  have  had  more  learned 
men,  and  distinguished  characters  amongst  them  in  former 
times  than  they  have  at  present.  Dr.  William  Ru!!:sell, 
Thomas  Grantham,  Dr.  John  Gale,  and  other  eminent 
men,  were  of  this  connexion. 

Russell  and  Grantham  were  cotemporarics  and  fellow- 
sufierers  with  Bunyan,  Keach,  Kiffin,  and  other  distin- 
guished ministers  of  the  Particular  Baptists. 


Memorial  of  Mr.  Grantham.  227 

The  following   Memorial  of  Mr.  Grantham,   in    Golden    Ca/iilals, 
is  hung   up.    in   the    Meeting-house   belonging  to  the   General  Bap- 
tists, in   the   Priory  of  the  White   Friars,  in   the   Parish  of  St. 
James,  in  the  city  of  A'orwich. 

A  MEMORIALy 


Dedicated  to  the  singular  merits  of 
A  faithful  Confesbor,  and  laborious  Servant  of  Christ: 

Who  with  christian  fortitude,  endured  persecution 
Through  many  perils,  the  loss  of  friends  and  substance. 

And  ten  persecutions  for  conscience'  sake, 

A  Man  endowed  with  everv  christian  grace  and  virtue. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  THOMAS  GRA?>THAM, 

A  learned  Minister  of  the  baptized  Churches, 

And  pious  Founder  of  this  Church  of  Believers  baptized  : 

Who  delivered  to  King  Charles  II.  our  Declaration  of  Faith  ; 

And  afterwards  presented  to  him  a  Remonstrance  against  Persecution. 

Both  were  kmdly  received,  and  redress  of  grievances  promised. 

He  died  xvii.  Jan.  mdcxcii,  aged  lviii.  years. 

And,  to  prevent  the  indecencies  threatened  to  his  corps. 

Was  interred  before  the  west  doors, 

Xh  the  middle  Aisle  of  St.  Stephen's  Church,  in  this  City  ; 

Through  the  interest,  and  much  to  the  credit  of 

The  Rev.  Mr.  JOHN  CONNOL  LD, 

By  whom,  with  many  sighs  and  tears 

The  burial  service  was  solemnly  read  to  a  crowded  audience:: 

When,  at  closing  the  book,  he  added. 

This  day  is  a  very  great  man  fallen  in  our  Israel  ; 

For  after  their  Epistolary  Dispute,  in  sixty  letters,  ended. 

That  very  learned  Vicar  retained 

The  highest  esteem  and  friendship  for  him  whilst  living, 

And  was,  at  his  own  request,  buried  by  him,  May  mdccviiiv 

That  Mr.  GRANTHAM  was  a  very  great  man,  appears 

In  those  Letters,  and  in  numerous  printed  works. 

Also,  when  engaged  in  public  disputations. 

Successfully  displaying  the  well  accomplished  Logician  : 

For  to  such  exercises  of  skill  and  literature 

He  was  often  called  in  that  disputing  age. 

blessed  are  the  dead  ivhich  die  in  the  Lord,  yea,  saith  the  Spirit, 

They  rest  from  their  labours,  and  their  works  do  follow  them. 


WALES. 

WE  have  briefly  related  under  the  preceding  head  the 
■account  of  the  ancient  British  Christians  retiring  into 
Wales,  to  avoid  the  persecutions  of  the  pagan  Saxons,  and 
of  their  being  visited  by  the  bloody  emissary  of  Rome,  St, 


228  Baptists  in  Wales  during  Popery, 

Austin,  who  requested  them  to  receive  the  commandment 
of  the  pope,  and  baptize  their  children.  These  christian 
refugees  are  upon  very  good  ground  supposed  to  have 
been  Baptists.  Aftt  r  they  were  driven  into  Wales  they 
enjoyed  tranquillity  for  a  length  of  time,  and  rehgion  flour- 
ished by  their  means.  They  formed  two  large  societies 
of  a  somewhat  peculiar  nature,  one  at  Bangor  in  the  north, 
and  the  other  at  Cear-leon  in  the  south.  According  to 
Danvers  the  society  or  college  at  Bangor  contained  tw'o 
thousand  one  hundred  christians,  who  dedicated  them- 
selves to  the  Lord,  to  serve  him  in  the  ministry,  as  they 
became  capable,  to  whom  was  attributed  the  name  oS.  the 
monks  of  Bangor.  But  this  writer  assures  us  they  were  no 
ways  like  the  popish  monks,  for  they  married,  followed 
their  different  callings,  those  who  were  qualified  for  the  min- 
istry engaged  in  the  holy  employment,  while  the  others 
laboured  with  their  hands  to  support  them,  and  to  provide 
for  the  great  spiritual  family.  We  have  seen  that  the 
Moravian  Baptists  lixed  in  confraternities  much  like  the 
one  we  are  now  describing,  and  the  Baptist  Missionaries 
at  Serampore,  as  \\e  shall  soon  show,  ha^e  founded  an  in- 
stitution of  a  similar  nature,  v.here  from  one  fund,  the 
wants  of  all,  however  differently  engaged,  are  supplied. 
The  Mission  house  at  Serampore  ^\oulci  doubtless  be  call- 
ed a  monastery,  and  the  missionaries  monks  by  a  popish 
writer.  But  the  tvi^o  great  societies  at  Bangor  and  Cear- 
leon,  were  broken  up,  and  all  the  Baptists  in  Wales,  who 
rejected  St.  Austin's  commission,  were  terribly  harassed, 
and  most  of  them  destroyed  about  the  year  600,  by  the 
army  of  Saxons,  which  the  sanguinary  saint  procured  to 
carry  war  and  wretchedness  among  them. 

For  many  centuries  after  this  the  history  of  Wales  is 
covered  with  great  obscurity.  Our  English  and  Welsh 
brethren  seem  inclined  to  think  that  Baptist  principles  liv- 
ed in  this  country  through  all  the  dark  ages  of  popery,  al- 
though they  do  not  pretend  that  those  who  maintained 
them  remained  in  a  congregated  state.  The  supposition 
is  not  altogether  improbable,  but  until  some  clearer  his- 
torical evidence  can  be  adduced,  it  must  rest  as  a  matter 
of  opinion.  W^e  know  that  Wales,  for  a  long  time,  has 
been  a  nursery  of  Baptists.  Multitudes  have  emigrated 
to  this  country  liom  that  principality,  and  many  of  the 


First  Baptist  Church  in  Wales.  229 

American  churches  were  founded  either  wholly  or  in  part 
by  these  emigrants.  Wales  has  aUo  supplied  the  Ameri- 
can churches  with  many  useful  ministers,  many  of  whom 
are  gone  to  receive  their  reward,  but  some  of  them  are  yet 
actively  ens;aged  in  this  western  department  of  the  Lord's 
vineyard.  Roger  Williams,  the  founder  of  Rhode- Island, 
Morgan  Edwards,  Dr.  Samuel  Jones  of  Lovver-Dublin, 
(Penn.)  Mr.  David  Philips,  of  Washington  county  in  the 
same  State,  Mr.  Lewis  Richards  ot  Baltimore,  and  Mr. 
John  Williams  of  New  A^jrk,  were  all  born  in  Wales. 
The  names  of  many  other  ministers  of  Welsh  extraction 
will  occur  in  the  course  of  this  \^  ork. 

The  first  Baptist  church  in  Wales,  of  which  we  can  give 
any  clear  account,  was  founded  at  SvAansca  in  that  country 
in  1649.  The  principal  man  among  them  was  John  Miles, 
who  afterwards  came  to  America  and  founded  the  church 
at  Swansea,  in  Massachusetts.  The  Swansea  church  in 
Wales  had  increased  to  about  three  hundred  members  by 
the  year  1662.  Other  churches  arose  in  this  country  soon 
after  the  one  was  founded  at  Swansea,  and  in  the  time  of 
the  Commonwealth,  they  maintained  an  Association,  and 
published  a  Confession  of  Faith,  which  was  publicly  op- 
posed by  George  Fox,  the  Quaker.  But  on  the  restoration 
of  Charles  IL  their  Association  was  broken  up,  and  they 
with  all  other  non-conformists  were  made  to  feel  the  rod  of 
a  persecuting  church.  When  tlie  General  Assembly  of 
Baptists  met  in  London,  in  1689,  it  appears  there  were 
delegates  from  only  seven  churches  in  Wales.  It  is  proba- 
ble, however,  that  there  were  more  churches  in  the  princi- 
pahty  at  that  time,  which  could  not  conveniently  send  dele- 
gates so  f:\r,  or  who  might  not  have  been  convinced  of  the 
expediency  of  the  measure. 

In  Morgan  Edwards'  list  for  1768,  the  number  of  Bap- 
tist churches  in  Wales  was  twenty-three,  only  one  of  which 
was  of  the  General  persuasion.  In  all  these  churches  were 
about  twenty  ministers,  and  two  thousand  one  hundred 
and  ten  communicants. 

In  Rippon's  list  for  1790,  the  number  of  churches  had 
increased  to  forty-eight,  and  the  number  of  ministers  was 
much  greater.  In  1798,  the  number  of  churches  amount- 
ed to  eighty-four,  in  which  were  ninety-one  ministers,  who 
had  a  pastoral  charge,  forty-seven  who  were  not  ordained, 
and  not  less  than  nine  thousand  members. 


230  The  Number  of  Baptists  in  Wales, 

If  the  Baptists  in  Wales  have  increased  as  fast  since  the 
last  mentioned  date,  as  they  did  for  a  number  of  years  pre- 
ceding it,  there  must  now  be  considerably  more  than  a 
hundred  churches,  twelve  or  fourteen  thousand  members, 
and  not  far  from  two  hundred  ministers,  including  such  as 
are  not  ordained. 

There  are  three  Associations  in  Wales,  which  are  called 
the  East,  West,  and  North. 

In  Rippon's  latest  list  of  the  Welsh  churches,  he  has 
specified  the  year  in  which  each  one  was  constituted.  The 
one  at  Olchon  is  dated  in  1633,  sixteen  years  before  the 
one  at  Swansea. 

IRELAND. 

This  catholic  kingdom  has  never  contained  many  Bap- 
tists, but  yet  there  appears  to  have  been  a  few  respectable 
churches  in  it  for  more  than  a  hundred  and  sixty  years. 
At  what  period  Baptist  churches  began  to  be  founded  in 
Ireland,  1  cannot  learn,  but  it  was  probably  not  far  from 
the  year  1650.  Ivimey  has  given  an  account  of  a  corres- 
pondence, w  hich  was  maintained  between  the  Baptists  in 
Ireland,  and  England,  a  little  after  this  period.  By  a 
letter  from  Ireland,  in  1653,  it  appears  there  were  ten 
B^iptist  churches  in  the  following  places,  viz.  Dublin, 
Waterford,  Clonmell,  Kilkenny,  Cork,  Limerick,  Gallo- 
way, Wexford,  Kerry,  and  near  Carrick  Fergus.  Three 
years  after,  another  letter  was  sent,  signed  by  Patient, 
Blackwood,  Roberts,  Lawern,  Sew^ard,  Jones,  Cudmore, 
Hopkins,  and  Thomas,  all  of  whom,  I  conclude,  were 
ministers.  The  Baptists  appear  to  have  flourished  in  Ire- 
land during  the  existence  of  the  Commonwealth  ;  but  on 
the  restoration  of  the  persecuting  and  inglorious  Charles 
II,  they  doubtless  met  with  trouble,  and  it  is  supposed 
that  those  ministers,  who  had  gone  over  from  England  to 
that  kingdom,  were  then  obliged  to  return  home. 

Among  the  papers  left  by  Mr.  John  Comer,  and  pre- 
served by  Mr.  Backus,  I  find  a  letter  written  from  Dub- 
lin in  1731,  by  a  Baptist  minister,  \^hose  name  was 
Abdiel  Edwards.  By  this  letter  it  appears  there  were  then 
eight  or  ten  churches  in  Ireland,  of  the  Particular  Baptists, 
besides  one  of  Arminian  principles,  and  another  which  held 


First  Church  in  Scotland.  231 

to  open  communion.  Mr.  Edwards  informs  his  corres- 
pondent that  the  church  in  Swift's  x\lley,  DubUn,  of  which 
he  was  pastor,  consisted  of  about  two  hundred  members, 
that  it  was,  for  ought  he  could  learn,  die  oldest  in  the  king- 
dom, and  was  formed,  as  he  supposed,  about  eighty  years 
before,  that  is,  about  1650.  He  also  mentions  that  the 
whole  number  of  Baptist  con\muiiicants  then  in  Ireland, 
did  not  exceed  four  hundred.  The  number  of  both 
churches  and  members  has  been  less  since  that  time,  but 
of  late  vears  thev  bes;in  to  increase. 

Ireland  has  produced  some  famous  statesmen  and  literary 
characters,  and  it  also  gave  birth  to  that  famous  B  iptist, 
tliat  champion  of  non-conformity,  Thomas  Dclauiie,  whose 
immortal  plea  for  the  non-conformists  was  re-published  a 
few  years  since,  by  Elias  Lee,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church 
at  the  Ballston  Springs,  in  the  state  of  New- York. 

SCOTLAND. 

*'  IT  was  supposed  till  very  lately,  that  there  never  had  ex- 
isted in  Scotland  a  religious  society  of  the  Baptist  denomi- 
nation, before  the  year  1765  ;  but  it  now  appears  that  this 
was  a  mistake,  and  that  such  a  society  did  really  exist 
there  as  far  back  as  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  and  which  used  to  meet  at  Leith  and  Edinburgh. 
What  led  to  this  discovery  was  a  book  which  lately  fell 
into  the  hands  of  a  certain  person  at  Edinburgh,  entitled, 
*'  A  confession  of  the  several  congregations  or  churches  of 
Christ  in  London,  which  are  commonly  (though  unjustly) 
called  Anabaptists  ;  published  for  the  vindication  of  the 
truth,  &c.  Unto  which  is  added,  Heart-bleedings  for  pro- 
fessors' abominations,  or  a  faithful  general  epistle,  (from 
the  same  chiu"ches)  presented  to  all  who  have  known  the 
way  of  truth,  &c.  The  fourth  impression  corrected. 
Printed  at  Leith,  1653."  To  this  edition  a  preface  is  pre- 
fixed by  some  Baptists  at  Leith  and  Edinburgh,  which, 
however,  contains  nothing  of  the  history  of  the  church, 
only  that  they  were  of  the  same  faith  and  order  with  the 
churches  in  London.  It  is  dated,  "  Leith,  the  tenth  of 
the  first  month,  vulgarly  called  March,  1652-3,"  and 
"  signed  in  the  name,  and  b}^  the  appointment  of  the 
church   of  Christ,  usually  meeting  at  Leith  and  Edin- 


232  Church  composed  of  English  Baptists. 

burgh,  by  Thomas  Spencer,  Abraham  Holmes,  Thomas 
Powell,  John  Brady.." 

"  It  is  more  than  probable  that  this  church  was  compos- 
ed of  English  Baptists,  w  ho  had  gone  into  that  country, 
during  the  civil  wars.  In  that  case  it  may  be  supposed 
that  they  were  chiefly  soldiers,  as  we  know  of  no  other 
description  of  men  so  likely  to  have  emigrated  from  Eng- 
land to  Scotland  ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  there  M'cre 
many  Baptists  in  the  army  which  Cromwell  led  into  that 
country,  a  good  part  of  which  was  left  behind  for  the 
purpose  of  garrisoning  Edinburgh,  Leith  and  other 
places. 

"This  church,  it  is  supposed,  continued  in  existence 
down  to  the  era  of  the  restoration,  when,  in  all  probability, 
it  was  dissolved  and  dispersed,  owing  either  to  the  garri- 
sons of  Leith  and  Edinburgh,  being  then  withdrawn  and 
replaced  by  other  troops,  or  else  to  the  violence  of  the 
persecution,  which  so  notoriously  distinguished  the  exe- 
crable reign  of  the  second  Charles.  Be  that  as  it  may, 
there  do  not  appear,  as  far  as  is  now  known,  the  slightest 
traces  of  so  much  as  one  single  Baptist  church  in  North- 
Britain,  for  more  than  a  hundred  years  from  that  period. 
It  was  not  till  the  year  1765,  that  the  Baptist  profession 
began  again  to  make  a  public  appearance  in  that  country ; 
its  first  rise,  however,  may  be  traced  a  little  further  back."* 

In  1763,  Robert  Carmichael  and  Archibald  M'Lean, 
conversing  together  upon  the  subject  of  infant  baptism, 
were  at  a  loss  to  find  any  proper  ground  for  it  in  the  word 
of  God  ;  but  being  unwilling  to  relinquish  it  hastily,  it  was 
agreed  that  each  of  them  should  carefully  consult  the 
scriptures  upon  that  subject,  and  communicate  their 
thoughts  upon  it  to  each  other.  Carmichael  had  been  for 
several  years  pastor  of  an  Antiburghcr  congregation,  the 
strictest  class  of  seceders,  but  had  now  joined  the  Glassites. 
M'Lean  was  a  printer  at  Glasgow.  The  result  of  their 
examination  was,  that  both  of  these  men  were  led  to  re- 
nounce infant  baptism.  Carmichael  was  now  at  Edin- 
burgh. He  had  been  pastor  of  an  Independent  society  in 
that  city  ;  but  for  certain  reasons,  he  and  seven  others  had 
separated  from  that  society,  before  he  became  a  Baptist. 
Soon  after  this  separation  he  became  fully  convinced  of  the 

*  Rippon's  Register. 


Carniichael  and  McLean  become  Baptists.  233 

scripture  doctrine  of  baptism,  and  preached  it  publickly. 
Five  of  the  seven  who  adhered  to  him  declared  themselves 
of  the  same  mind,  among  whom  was  Mr.  Robert  Walker, 
surgeon.  To  obtain  baptism  in  a  regular  way,  it  was 
judged  proper  that  Mr.  Carmichael  should  first  goto  Lon- 
don and  be  baptized  himself.  He  accordingly  went  and 
was  baptized  by  Doctor  Gill,  at  Barbican,  October  9, 
1765,  and,  returning  to  Edinburgh,  administered  that  or- 
dinance to  the  five  above  mentioned,  and  other  two,  in 
November  following.  Archibald  M'Lean,  then  residing 
at  Glasgow,  was  not  baptized  for  some  weeks  after ;  and 
while  at  Edinburgh  upon  that  occasion  he  was  much  so- 
licited to  write  an  answer  to  Mr.  Glass's  Dissertation  on. 
Infant  Baptism,  which  he  did  in  the  spring  following,  but 
it  was  not  published  till  the  end  of  that  year.  A  publica- 
tion of  this  nature  being  a  novelty  in  Scotland,  awakened 
the  attention  of  many  in  different  places  to  the  subject. 
In  December,  1767,  Archibald  M'Lean  removed  to  Ed- 
inburgh, the  church  then  consisting  of  about  nine  members ; 
and  in  June,  1768,  he  was  chosen  colleague  to  Mr.  Carmi- 
chael. Soon  after  this  the  church  increased  considerably. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  the  present  Baptist  churches 
in  Scotland.  In  1769,  Mr.  Carmichael  removed  from 
Edinburgh,  and  settled  at  Dundee,  where  a  church  was 
organized  immediately,  and  he  and  Thomas  Boswel  be- 
came its  elders.  About  the  same  time  Dr.  Walker  was 
chosen  jfint-elder  with  Archibald  M'Lean  of  the  church 
at  Edinburgh.  The  same  year  (1769)  several  persons 
came  from  Glasgow,  and  were  baptized.  Afterwards, 
when  their  number  increased,  they  were  set  in  order,  and 
Neil  Stuart  was  appointed  their  elder.  In  1770,  a  small 
society  arose  at  Montrose,  and  John  Greig,  David  Mill, 
and  Thomas  Wren,  officiated  as  its  elders.  Frora  this 
period  Baptist  sentiments  spread  around  in  many  differ- 
ent places,  and  a  number  of  small  societies  were  formed. 
Some  acquired  a  permanent  standing,  while  others  were 
broken  up  in  a  short  time  by  disputes  amone  themselves 
about  the  order  of  the  house^  z^c.  I  am  inclined  to  think 
there  were  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  Baptist  churches  in 
Scotland,  in  l800.  But  since  that  time  they  have  in- 
creased greatly.  Many  Pedobaptist  ministers  have  es- 
poused the  Baptist  cause,  and  the  doctrine  of  believer's 

VOL,  I.  30 


234  Lidia  Missioji. 

baptism  has  had  an  extensive  prevalence  within  a  kv^ 
years  past  in  the  Scottish  realm.  The  converts  seem  to 
have  come  more  from  the  Independent  connexion,  than 
the  fast-bound  Kirk.  Among  the  distinguished  characters, 
in  Scotland,  who  have  embraced  the  principles  of  the 
Baptists,  we  may  reckon  Robert  Haldane,  Esq.  and  Rev. 
James  A.  Haldane  his  brother.  The  former  of  these  is  a 
gentleman  of  fortune,  and  has,  for  many  years,  devoted  his 
revenues  to  the  promotion  of  the  cause  of  truth.  By  his 
means  many  pious  young  men  have  been  educated  and 
sent  forth  into  the  ministry  in  dift'erent  directions  ;  and  a 
considerable  number  of  them,  have  with  their  patron  been 
buried  in  baptism,  and  espoused  the  principles  of  the 
despised  Baptists. 

I  very  much  regret  that  I  am  not  able  to  give  a  more 
particular  account  of  the  late  progress  of  the  Baptist  senti- 
ments, and  of  the  present  number  of  the  denomination  in 
Scotland. 

Mr.  Maclay  of  New- York  informs  me,  that  before  he 
left  Scotland,  he  foresaw  what  has  since  come  to  pass,  and 
gave  his  Independent  brethren  to  understand  that  he  ex- 
pected many  of  them  would  become  Baptists.  And  so  it 
has  happened  that  many  of  their  ministers,  multitudes  of 
their  members,  and  in  not  a  few  instances  almost  whole 
churches  have  embraced  the  Baptist  principles.  The  Inde- 
pendents and  Baptists  are  very  nearly  related.  Their  no- 
tions of  church  government  are  alike,  in  doctrine  they  gen- 
erally agree,  and  it  is  only  for  an  Independent  to  go  into 
the  water,  and  he  is  a  Baptist  at  once.  The  Independent 
churches  have  always  been  Baptist  nurseries.  The  Inde- 
pendents are  upon  the  brink  of  gospel  order,  and  when  they 
are  immersed  in  Jordan  they  are  completely  in  it. 

The  present  number  of  Baptists  in  Scotland  I  am  not 
able  to  state  ;  but  from  all  accounts  it  must  amount  to 
many  thousands.  Should  any  further  accounts  come  to 
hand  in  season,  they  shall  be  inserted  in  the  Appendix. 

INDIA    MISSION. 

This  mission  originated  in  England,  an'd  is  supported 
and  directed  by  a  society,  w  hich  was  formed  about  twenty 
years  ago,  by  the  Baptists  in  that  kingdom. 


I 


Misswnriry   Society  formed.  235 

An  interesting  account  of  this  important  establishment 
was  not  long  since  published  in  a  small  volume  by  Dr. 
Staughion   of  Philadelphia,  under  the  title  of  the   bap- 
tist MISSION  IN  INDIA,  containing  a  narrative  of  its  rise, 
proij;ress,  and  present   condition.       Very  interesting  com- 
munications from  the  Missionaries  in  India,  are  also  fre-.i 
quently  inserted  in  the  Baptist   Magazine,   edited  by  Dr.* 
Baldwin  of  Boston.     But  for  the  benefit  of  those  of  our.) 
brethren,  who  have  not  had  access  to  these  sources  of  in-- 
formation,   I   shall  here  give  a  brief  account  of  this  noble 
institniion. 

As  early  as  1784,  it  was  resolved  by  an  Association  held 
at  Nottingham,  in  England,  to  set  apart  an  hour  the  first 
Monday  evening  in  every  month,  for  extraordinary  prayer 
for  the  revival  of  religion,  and  for  the  extending  of  Christ's 
kingdom  in  the  world.  This  was  three  years  before  Mr. 
Carey  \\as  ordained.  This  distinguished  man  from  his 
first  entering  on  the  work  of  the  ministry,  directed  all  his 
thoughts,  plans,  and  studies  towards  enterprises  of  a  mis- 
sionary khid.  in  1790,  he  visited  Birmingham  and  became 
acquainted  with  the  late  Samuel  Pearce,  whose  kindred 
soul  entered  with  ardour  into  all  his  views.  Others  at  the 
same  time  were  animated  with  a  missionary  zeal,  and  in 
1792  the  society  was  formed  at  Kettering,  which  has  since, 
by  its  wonderful  acts,  astonished  the  christian  world,  and 
made  the  word  of  God  accessible  to  millions  in  India's 
benighted  realm.     Its  funds  at  first  were  only  13/.  2s.  6d, 

About  this  time,  Mr.  John  Thomas  returned  from  In- 
dia to  England.  He  went  out  as  a  surgeon  of  an  East- 
Indiaman  in  1783.  Before  he  left  England  he  had  embrac- 
ed the  gospel  under  Dr.  Stennet  ;  while  he  was  in  Ben- 
gal, he  felt  a  desire  to  communicate  it  to  the  natives,  and 
being  encouraged  to  do  so  by  a  religious  friend,  he  obtain- 
ed his  discharge  from  the  ship,  and  after  learjiing  the  lan- 
guage, continued  from  the  year  1787  to  1791  preaching 
Christ  in  diiferent  parts  of  the  country.  But  it  does  not 
appear  that  the  Baptists  in  England  were  at  the  time  ac- 
quainted with  Mr.  Thomas'  proceedings.  But  now  they 
were  happy  to  find  that  while  they  had  been  praying  at 
home  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel  among  the  heathen,  one 
of  their  brethren  had  been  making  the  attempt  among  the 


336  The  Missionaries  set  sail  for  India, 

wretclied  Hindoos,  and  that  some  success  had  attended  his 
exertions. 

From  information  received  from  Mr.  Thomas,  the  com- 
mittee of  this  infant  society,  which  at  first  consisted  of 
John  Ryland,  Reynold  Hogg,  William  Carey,  John  Sut- 
cliff,  and  Andrew  Fuller,  were  fully  of  opinion  that  a  door 
was  now  open  for  a  mission  in  the  East- Indies.  They  ac- 
cordingly resolved  to  invite  Mr.  Thomas  to  go  out  as  one 
of  their  missionaries.  Mr.  Care)%  whom  God,  in  his  wise 
providence,  had  fitted  for  the  important  part  he  has  since 
acted,  and  had  brought  him  into  his  vineyard  at  this  event- 
ful juncture,  was  asked  if  he  were  willing  to  accompany 
Mr.  Thomas  ;  to  which  he  readily  answered  in  the  affir- 
mative. Thus  two  missionaries  stood  ready  to  depart  for 
the  dark  and  distant  coast.  *'  The  next  step  "ii  as  to  cal- 
culate the  expense  of  sending  them  out,  and  to  obtain  the 
means  of  defraying  it.  The  expense  was  estimated  at 
500/.  which  sum  required  to  be  mised  in  about  three  or 
four  months.  To  accomplish  this  the  committee  frankly 
stated  to  the  religious  public  their  plan,  requesting  that  so 
far  as  it  appeared  to  be  deserving  of  encouragement,  they 
would  encourage  it.  Letters  were  also  addressed  to  the 
most  active  minister*  of  the  denomination  throughout  the 
kingdom,  requesting  their  concurrence  and  assistance. 
The  result  was,  that  more  than  twice  the  sum  which  had 
been  asked  for  was  collected  ;  yet,  when  the  ^\ork  was 
finished,  the  actual  expense  had  so  far  exceeded  the  esti- 
mate, that  there  were  only  a  few  pounds  to  spare.  One 
principal  cause  of  this  was  the  circumstance  of  Mr.  Carey's 
whole  family,  with  Mr.  Carey's  sister,  being  induced  to 
accompany  him." 

In  June,  1793,  on  board  the  princess  Maria,  a  Danish 
Indiaman,  these  missionaries  set  sail  for  India,  and  after 
the  usual  passage  safely  arrived  at  the  place  of  their  desti- 
nation. During  the  first  years  of  their  residence  in  this 
heathen  land,  they  experienced  a  mixture  of  trials  and  en- 
couragements, but  on  the  ^\'hole  they  found  sufficient  mo- 
tives for  perseverance  in  the  arduous  work  which  they  had 
undertaken. 

In  the  spring  of  1796,  Mr.  John  Fountain  offering  him- 
self as  a  missionary  was  accepted,  and  sent  out  to  join  the 
t)rethren  in  India. 


More  Missionaries  sent  out.  237 

As  repeated  requests  had  been  made  for  more  mission- 
aries, and  particularly  for  one,  who  should  understand  the 
printing  business,  the  committee-  paid  every  possible  at- 
tention to  this  object.  In  the  spring  of  1799,  they  were 
enabled  to  send  out  four  men  and  four  women  ;  namely, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshman,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grant,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Brunsdon,  Mr.  William  Ward  and  Miss  Tidd. 
Mr.  Ward  understood  the  printing  business,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Marshman  had  kept  a  school. 

In  1802  Mr.  Chamberlain  and  wife  departed  for  India 
under  the  patronage  of  the  society. 

In  1804  four  more  young  men  with  their  wives,  who 
had  previously  been  set  apart  for  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
viz.  John  Biss,  Richard  Mardon,  William  Moore,  and 
Joshua  Roue,  set  sail  for  India  by  way  of  Amferica.  After 
a  tedious  and  perilous  voyage,  during  which  they  received 
much  kindness  from  friends,  both  in  America  and  at 
Madrass,  they  all  arrived  safe  at  the  place  of  their 
destination. 

The  next  missionaries  were  Messrs.  Chater  and  Robin- 
son. These  men  met  with  difficulty  from  government ;  they 
were  commanded  to  return  to  Europe,  and  Capt.  Wickes 
was  refused,  at  the  same  time,  a  clearance,  unless  he  took 
them  back,  but  after  considerable  parley,  the  Captain  was 
furnished  with  his  passports,  and  a  way  was  devised  by 
the  other  missionaries  to  retain  Messrs.  Chater  and  Rob- 
inson in  the  country. 

In  1812,  Messrs.  Johns  and  Lawson  with  their  wives, 
who  had  been  some  time  in  America,  set  sail  for  India. 
They  were  accompanied  by  four  Pedobaptist  missionaries, 
viz.  Messrs.  May,  Nott,  Hall  and  Rice.  Messrs. 
Judson  and  Newell  of  the  same  denomination  had 
sailed  before  them.  They  all  landed  safely  in  India,  but 
some  of  them  met  with  troubles  on  account  of  the  vexa- 
tious policy  of  the  East-India  Company.  Of  these  Pedo- 
baptists  Mr.  Judson  and  wife,  and  Mr.  Rice  embraced 
the  Baptist  sentiments,  and  were  baptized  not  long  after 
they  landed  in  India.  These  worthy  young  men  have 
turned  their  attention  to  their  Baptist  brethren  in  America 
for  assistance,  and  they  are  making  exertions  to  afford  it. 

I  am  not  sure  but  other  missionaries  besides  those  we 
have  named,  have  been  sent  to  India  by  the  society  in 


238        T^he  Mission  Family  established  at  Serampore. 

England.  But  these  are  all  of  which  I  have  gained  any 
information.  Some  of  them  have  died.  Those  who  re- 
main are  now  actively  engaged  in  the  great  business  for 
which  they  submitted  to  a  voluntary  exile  to  a  heathen  and 
unhealthy  land. 

A  considerable  number  of  those  who  have  been  brought 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  by  means  of  these  mission- 
aries, have  become  preachers  of  the  gospel.  Some  of  these 
also  have  died.  In  1811,  Dr.  Carey  wrote  to  Dr.  Rogers 
of  Philadelphia  as  follows:  "The  Lord  has  been  very 
gracious  in  raising  up  labourers  in  this  work.  There  are 
about  ten  persons,  formerly  idolaters  or  mussulmans,  who 
now  preach  the  gospel  of  our  Redeemer,  and  seven  others, 
native  Portuguese  or  Armenians,  who  are  either  called  to 
the  work  of  the  ministry,  or  are  now  on  trial  for  it.  Two 
of  our  native  brethren,  Hindoos,  are  employed  in  Calcutta 
and  its  precincts,  where  they  preach  at  twelve  or  fourteen 
different  places  every  week,  and  have  been  the  instruments 
of  the  conversion  of  many.  Indeed,  I  think  they  are  the 
most  useful  persons  now  employed  in  the  work  of  God  at 
Calcutta,  or  in  India." 

We  shall  now  give  a  brief  account  of  the  great  things 
our  brethren  in  India  have  been  enabled  to  perform. 

The  missionaries  on  their  first  arrival  in  this  country 
resided  at  different  places,  but  in  1800,  they  settled  at 
Serampore,  and  this  place  became  henceforward  the  head 
quarters  of  all  who  were  concerned  in  the  mission.  The 
first  object  of  attention  was  to  settle  a  plan  of  family  gov- 
ernment. All  the  missionaries  were  to  preach  and  pray 
in  turn  ;  one  to  superintend  the  affairs  of  the  family  a 
moi\th,  and  then  another  ;  Mr.  Carey  was  appointed  treas- 
urer, and  keeper  of  the  medicine  chest  ;  Mr.  Fountain, 
librarian  ;  Saturday  evening  was  devoted  to  adjusting  any 
differences  which  might  arise  during  the  week,  and  pledg- 
ing themselves  to  love  one  another  ;  finally,  it  ivas  resolvedy 
that  no  one  should  engage  in  any  prii^atc  trade  ;  but  ivhate'ver 
"iVas  done  by  any  ?nember  of  the  family^  shoidd  be  done  for 
the  benefit  of  the  mission. 

The  rent  of  lodgings  which  they  at  present  occupied 
was  very  high.  They  therefore  purchased  a  house,  by  the 
river  side,  with  a  pretty  large  piece  of  ground.     It  had  va- 


ne  printing  of  the  Bengalee  New  Testament  begun.     239 

rious  accommodations,   but  the  price  alarmed  them  ;  yet 
the  rent  in  four  years  would  have  amounted  to  the  purchase. 

In  1801  the  missionaries  purchased  the  house  and  prem- 
ises adjoining  tlieir  own.  The  garden  and  out-buildings 
contained  more  than  four  acres  of  land.  By  this  addition 
they  had  room  not  only  for  the  schools,  and  for  the  printing 
and  binding  business,  but  also  for  any  new  missionaries 
that  might  arrive.  They  made  themselves  trustees  for  the 
society,  as  they  had  done  in  the  first  purchase. 

The  missionaries  have  also  purchased  a  large  real  estate 
at  Calcutta.  Whatever  property  they  obtain,  belongs  to 
the  mission  family,  and  is  held  in  trust  by  them  for  the  so- 
ciety in  England.  These  are  some  of  the  temporal  advan- 
tages of  the  missionaries,  but  those  of  a  spiritual  kind  arc 
far  greater.  They  found  it  a  laborious  task  to  learn  the 
languages  of  the  country.  They  first,  it  appears,  made 
themselves  masters  of  the  Bengalee.  About  the  time  the 
mission-house  was  established  at  Seramporc,  Dr.  Carey 
had  nearly  finished  the  translation  of  the  Old  and  New- 
Testament  into  that  language,  and  preparations  for  printing 
having  previously  been  made,  in  May,  1800,  the  first  sheet 
of  the  Bengalee  New-Testament  was  struck  off.  From 
that  period  the  missionaries  have  gone  on  with  great  assi- 
duity and  success,  in  learning  other  languages  and  present- 
ing the  precious  word  of  life  to  the  idolatrous  natives  of  the 
East  in  their  own  tongues. 

From  a  statement  furnished  by  Mr.  Johns  while  in 
America,  it  appears  that  translations  were  making  in  1811, 
in  twelve  languages,  viz.  1st.  The  Bengalee.  2d.  The 
Orissa.  3d.  The  Telinga.  4th.  The  Guzerattee.  5th. 
The  Kurnata.  6th.  The  Mahratta.  7th.  The  Hindoos- 
thanee.  8th.  The  Seek.  9th.  The  Sungskrit.  10th.  The 
Burman.  11th.  The  Chinese.  12th.  The  Thibet  or  Bootan. 
Besides  the  printing  of  the  Malayala  and  the  Tamul. 

"  The  present  state  of  the  translations,"  says  Mr..  Johns, 
"  is  highly  encouraging,  and  marks  the  zeal  and  persever- 
ance of  the  persons  engaged  in  the  work.  The  Bengalee 
Bible,  in  5  vols.  Svo.  has  been  completed  for  some  time, 
and  has  reached  even  to  a  third  edition.  This  work  was 
the  result  of  "  sixteen  years  labour."  The  New-Testa- 
ment and  Pentateuch  are  printed  in  Sungskrit ;  the  New- 
Testament  and  the  Old- Testament,  from  Job  to  Malachi 


240         Kr'istno  renounces  Cast^  and  is  baptized. 

in  the  Orissa.  The  New-Testament  in  the  Mahratta  and 
in  the  Hindoosthanee,  is  printed.  In  the  Chinese,  the 
Gospels  by  Matthew  and  Mark  are  printed  off,  and  the 
New  Testament  will  shortly  be  published  : — In  1809,  the 
transladon  had  proceeded  to  the  end  of  Ephesians.  The 
printing  in  the  Barman,  and  also  in  the  Seek,  is  begun. 
The  Teiinga  and  Kurnata,  may  be  commenced  this  pres- 
ent year,  (1811  ;)  the  Kurnata  and  Guzerattee  have  been 
hitherto  delayed*  by  circumstances,  chiefly  of  a  pecuniary 
nature.  The  translations  of  all  are  much  further  advanced 
than  the  printing ;  and  the  missionaries  express  a  hope, 
that  ere  long.  Ail  the  nations  of  the  East  will  hear  in  their 
own  tongues  the  wonderful  works  of  God.  Besides  the 
above,  the  Serampore  missionaries  are  printing  the  Malaya- 
la,  translated  from  the  celebrated  Syriac  version,  under  the 
direction  of  Mar  Dionysius,  bishop  of  the  Syrian  Chris- 
tians ;  and  also  the  Tamul,  translated  by  a  valuable  de- 
ceased missionary  from  the  London  Societ5^" 

The  Sungskrit,  or  Sangskrit,  as  it  is  sometimes  written, 
is  read  all  over  India  ;  it  is  the  learned  language  of  the 
country.  The  Bengalee  is  spoken  by  a  population  equal 
to  that  of  the  United  States  of  America  ;  the  Hindoos- 
thanee, to  France  and  Italy  ;  the  Chinese  by  three  hun- 
dred millions  ;  the  Burman  by  seventeen  millions  ;  and 
the  other  languages  by  many  millions  each.  The  mission- 
aries are  yearly  studying  new  languages  and  making  prepa- 
rations to  make  the  Oiacles  of  Truth  legible  to  the  remain- 
ing idolatrous  millions  of  the  East. 

The  missionaries  have  hitherto  devoted  most  of  their 
attention  to  the  translating  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  nu- 
merous languages  of  India,  but  they  have  at  the  same  time 
laboured  much  among  the  natives,  and  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  them  have  been  hopefully  born  into  the  kingdom 
of  God.  A  number  professed  a  serious  regard  for  the 
gospel  from  the  first  preaching  of  the  missionaries  in  India, 
but  it  was  not  until  the  year  1800,  that  any  one  of  the  natives 
came  out  and  made  a  publick  profession  of  it.  In  December 
of  that  year  Kristno  was  baptized,  the  first  native,  who  had 
ever  in  Bengal  publickly  renounced  cast^  and  owned  Jesus 
Christ.  This  was  an  important  event.  The  chain  of  the 
East  was  now  broken,  and  the  missionaries  saw  what  they 
had  been  waiting  and  hoping  for  many  years,  and  concern- 


The  Number  baptized  by  1808.  241 

ing  which  they  had  met  with  so  many  disappointments.* 
From  this  period  a  few  were  from  time  to  time  brought  to 
make  a  public  profession  of  Christianity,  and  by  the  close 
of  the  year  1808,  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  had  been  bap- 
tized in  difterent  parts  of  India.  About  thirty  of  these 
were  Europeans,  who  had  settled  in  the  country,  tlie  rest 
were  natives.  Of  the  natives  about  ten  were  Brami;is,  a 
few  were  mussulmans,  and  the  remainder  were  Hindoos 
of  different  descriptions.  It  is  now  about  five  years  since 
this  statement  was  made,  which  is  found  in  Stjughton's 
India  Mission,  and  it  is  probable  that  a  much  greater 
number  has  been  converted  ia  this  time,  than  had  been 
before. 

Fiom  a  letter  from  Dr.  Carey  we  learn  that  last  year 
there  were,  in  different  parts  of  India,  twelve  missionary 
stations,  viz.  at  Agra,  Digga,  Patna,  Goamalti,  Dinage- 
pore  and  S  idamahl,  Cutvva,  Changach'ha  in  Jessore,  Se- 
rampore,  Calcutta,  Balasore  in  Oori^^sLi,  Rangoon,  and  at 
Columba  in  Ceylon.  And  at  that  time  Mr.  Robinson  was 
waiting  for  a  conveyance  to  Java  and  Mr.  Carapeit  Aratoon 
to  Bombay,  where  they  hope  to  found  stations.  Besides 
preaching  at  the  stations,  die  missionaries  and  many  of  the 
native  christians  spend  much  time  in  travelling  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  country,  to  preach  the  gospel,  to  distribute 
the  Scriptures  and  religious  tracts,  and  to  converse  upon 
the  great  things  of  the  kingdom  with  all  who  will  hear  him. 

*  The  Hindoos  from  time  immemorial  have  been  divided  into  tribes  or 
casts  The  four  principal  casts  are  the  Bramins,  Soldiers,  Labourers,  and 
Mechanics,  and  these  are  divided  into  a  multiplicity  of  inferior  distinctions. 
The  Bramins  are  the  most  noble  tribe,  they  alone  can  officiate  in  the  priest- 
hood, like  the  Jewish  tribe  of  L'.'vi,  All  the  diiferent  casts  are  kept  distinct 
from  each  other  by  insurmountable  barriers  ;  they  are  forbidden  to  intermar- 
ry, to  cohabit,  to  eat  with  each  other,  or  even  to  drink  out  of  the  same  vessel 
with  another  tribe.  Every  deviation  from  these  points  subjects  them  to  be 
rejected  by  their  tribe,  renders  them  polluted  forever,  and  oblig'es  them 
from  that  instant  to  associate  with  a  herd,  who  belong'  to  no  cast,  but  are 
held  in  utter  detestation  by  all  otliers,  and  are  employed  only  in  the  meanest 
and  vilest  offices.  The  members  of  each  cast  adhere  invariably  to  the  pro- 
fession of  their  forefathers  ;  from  g-eneration  to  generation  the  same  families 
have  followed  one  imiform  line  of  life. 

To  lose  cast  is  to  become  subject  to  an  excommunication  of  the  most  ter- 
rible kind,  and  for  this  reason  a  superstitious  Hindoo  will  suffer  torture  and 
even  death  itself  rather  than  do  it. 

From  this  we  see  that  the  infernal  cast,  as  Dr.  Fuller  calls  it,  was  a  most 
formidable  barrier  against  the  introduction  of  the  gospel  among  the  heathen 
in  India.  Well  might  the  missionaries  exult  when  the  chain  of  the  cast  was 
broken  by  Kristno,  and  the  door  of  faith  was  opened  to  these  perishiog' 
Gentiles. 

VOL.    I.  3JL 


242       Mr.  Judson^s  Account  of  the  Mission  Family. 

These  itinerant  excursions  are  often  the  most  profitable 
parts  of  their  labours. 

The  plan  of  the  Serampore  mission  is  thus  stated  by 
Mr.  Judson  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Baldwin,  1812.  *'  All  the 
pecuniary  avails  of  the  brethren,  as  well  as  monies  receiv- 
ed from  the  society  in  England,  belong  to  the  common 
treasury.  Dr.  Carey's  salary,  in  the  college,  of  12,000 
rupees  per  annum  ;^  Dr.  Marshman's  income  from  the 
school,  and  Mr.  Ward's  avails  of  the  printing-press,  are  as 
much  devoted  to  the  common  cause,  as  receipts  from 
England.  Out  of  the  public  treasury,  each  man,  woman, 
and  child,  belonging  to  the  mission,  receives  a  monthly 
allowance  for  clothes,  8cc.  which  varies  according  to  age 
and  circumstances  from  20  to  40  rupees.  The  whole 
family,  as  well  as  the  boarders,  eat  at  a  common  table. 
The  table  expenses,  as  well  as  all  the  expenses  of  the  mis- 
sion, arising  from  building,  repairs,  servants,  pundits,  na- 
tive preachers,  &c.  are  defrayed  by  appropriations  from 
the  public  fund.  The  fund  for  translating  and  printing  is 
preserved  distinct,  in  order  to  secure  the  subscriptions  of 
some  who  might  be  unwilling  to  contribute  to  the  com- 
mon object.  A  missionary  in  an  out-station  receives  an 
allowance  proportioned  to  the  expense  of  his  situation. 
Should  he  be  able  to  lessen  this  by  a  school,  or  by  any 
other  means,  he  is  obliged  to  do  so  ;  and  should  his  avails 
exceed  his  expenditure,  the  surplus  reverts  to  the  public 
treasury.  Still  farther,  all  the  lands  and  buildings,  belong- 
ing to  the  mission  at  Serampore  and  elsewhere,  are  deeded 
to  the  society  in  England.  Thus,  Sir,  you  see,  that  the 
whole  system  in  all  its  parts  is  disinterested.  No  mis- 
sionary has  any  private  property.  All  opportunities,  and 
therefore  all  temptations  to  lay  up  money  are  effectually 
precluded.  The  society  at  home  have  the  utmost  securi- 
ty for  the  honest  application  of  the  money  which  they  re- 
mit ;  and  should  any  wish  to  satisfy  themselves  on  this 

•  The  College  of  Fort-William  at  Calcutta  was  founrled  in  1800,  about  a 
year  after  Mr,  Carey  was  honored  by  Marquis  Wellesley  with  an  appointment 
of  teacher  of  the  Bengalee,  Sangskrit  and  Mahratta  languages  in  that  institu- 
tion. His  salary  was  500  rupees  a  month,  that  is,  3000  dollars  a  year. 
When  the  College  was  new  modelled  in  1807,  Mr.  Carey  was  made  profes- 
sor of  Beng.ilee  and  Sangskrit,  with  a  salary  of  six  thousand  dollars  a  year. 
Calcutta  is  fifteen  miles  Vrom  Serampore  ;  at  this  place  there  is  a  Baptist 
church,  and  here  Mr.  Carey  mostly  resides,  pursuing  with  unwearied  assi- 
duity his  professional  and  missionary  duties,  which  so  harmoniously  corres- 
pond with  each  other.    Well  might  he  say  «  The  earth  helpeth  the  woman." 


I'he  Sum  necessary  to  Support  a  Missionary  in  India.     243 

point,  the  cash  accounts  of  the  mission  are  always  open  to 
examination." 

Mr.  Judson  states  in  the  same  letter  that  the  expenses 
of  supporting  a  missionary  in  India,  are  much  greater  than 
people  here  would  generally  expect,  Mr.  Robinson  and 
wife,  who  were  then  bound  to  Java,  were  allowed  an  hun- 
dred and  forty  rupees,  that  is,  seventy  dollars  a  month,  or 
eijijht  hundred  and  forty  dollars  a  year.  Mr.  Chater  and 
wife  and  two  children  in  the  island  of  Ceylon  were  allow- 
ed eighty  dollars  a  month,  or  nine  hundred  and  sixty-dol- 
lars a  year. 

Great  charges  have  attended  the  prosecution  of  this  mis- 
sion, the  sum  total  of  which  I  am  not  able  to  state.  The 
fund  for  translating  and  printing  the  Scriptures  we  see  is 
preserved  distinct.  The  giving  of  the  word  of  life  to  the 
heathen  in  their  own  languages,  is  a  cause  in  which  party 
feelings  can  have  no  influence  ;  all  denominations  may, 
therefore,  heartily  engage  in  it,  and  many  benevolent 
christians  have  cordially  lent  their  aid.  Many  wealthy  in- 
dividuals resident  in  India  have  contributed  towards  car- 
rying forward  this  noble  undertaking.  A  late  Mr.  Grant 
in  tiiat  country  a  few  months  previous  to  his  decea'se  be- 
queathed five  thousand  dollars  for  the  translations. 

The  friends  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  Scotland,  of  all 
denominations,  have  repeatedly  and  liberally  contributed 
towards  this  object. 

The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  that  grand  and 
peculiar  institution  of  modern  times,  had,  previous  to  1811, 
voted  annually  for  three  preceding  years,  nearly  five 
thousand  dollars.  The  New- York  Bible  Society  have  al- 
so aided  this  design.  In  the  years  1806  and  1807,  the 
religious  friends  in  America  of  different  persuasions  fur- 
nished our  brethren  in  India  with  about  six  thousand  dol- 
lars.  From  1801  to  1809,  the  money  received  from  va- 
rious sources  for  the  translations  expressly,  amounted  to 
thirty. nine  thousand,  five  hundred  and  eighty  four  dollars 
and  seventeen  cents.  Great  sums  have  been  forwarded 
since,  the  amount  of  which  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn. 
But  Mr.  Johns,  previous  to  his  leaving  America,  collected 
nearly  five  thousand  dollars,  mostly  in  Boston  and  Salem. 
Among  the  donors  in  Boston,  the  Honorable  William 
■Phillips  gave  the  liberal  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars. 


244    Hhidoos  inguire after  the N'ew  Sh aster. ...Loss hyfire. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Scriptures  have  been  received 
by  the  natives  will  aftord  satisfaction  to  the  contributors, 
as  it  has  served  to  encourage  the  hearts  of  the  unwearied 
labourers.  Often  is  the  poor  Hindoo  seated  under  the 
shade  of  the  trees,  reading  "  this  wonderful  book."  They 
come  to  Seramporc  from  a  great  distance  to  inquire  about 
the  new  Shaster.  This  Shaster^  say  they,  will  be  received 
by  all  India,  and  the  Hindoos  wall  become  one  cast. 
What  heart  can  remain  unaffected  at  the  news  of  these 
wonderiul  events. 

The  expenses  of  supporting  the  missionaries  exclusive 
of  the  translations,  have  been  great  ;  but  they  have  been 
able  to  do  much  for  themselves,  and  what  has  been  want- 
ing has  been  communicated  by  the  society  under  whose 
patronage  they  labour.  The  brethren  in  England  know 
how  to  solicit,  and  what  is  still  better,  the  religious  public 
know  how  to  give. 

In  the  beginning  of  1812,  the  missionaries  experienced 
ji  \  ery  heavy  affliction  by  the  loss  of  their  printing  office, 
and  most  of  its  valuable  contents.  This  building,  which 
■was  two  hnridred  feet  in  length,  was  totally  consumed  by 
fire,  together  with  large  quantities  of  books,  manuscripts, 
types,  aiid  other  printing  apparatus.  The  loss  was  estimated 
at  thirty  thousand  dollars  to  the  mission,  and  five  thousand  to 
the  Bible  Society.  "This,"  says  Dr.  Carey,  "  was  a 
heavy  blow,  not  only  on  account  of  the  pecuniary  loss,  but 
as  it  totally  stopped  our  printing  the  scriptures  in  the  Ori- 
ental languages.  The  manuscripts  consumed  will  not  be 
all  replaced  in  a  long  time  to  come,  houever  hard  we  la- 
bour at  them.  We  however  immediately  began  to  recast 
the  types,  and  to  kibour  to  begin  printing  again  as  soon  as 
possible.  May  the  Lord  stand  by  us,  and  enable  us  to 
hold  on  in  this  great  work  till  it  be  accomplished, &c." 

From  these  accounts  we  see  that  the  Baptist  missiona- 
ries in  Iiidia  have  met  with  great  encouragement  and  suc- 
cess ;  but  they  have  all  along  met  with  many  troubles  ajid 
embarrassments,  both  from  the  natives,  and  many  of  the 
unbelieving  Europeans  who  are  settled  in  the  country. 
From  the  superstitious  Indians  they  had  reason  to  expect 
opposition,  but  from  their  own  countrymen  they  rather 
hoped  for  friendship  and  encouragement.  But  contrary  to 
this,  many  have  ridiculed  their  attempts,  defamed  their 


Vexatious  Policy  of  the  Eng.  East  India  Company.     245 

characters,  and  laboured  hard  to  defeat  their  benevolent 
designs.  But  their  most  serious  troubles  have  arisen  from 
the  embarrassing  policy  of  the  EngUsh  East-India  Com- 
pany. This  company  has  advanced  from  a  society  of  mer- 
chants to  the  sovereignty  of  the  country,  and  its  revenues 
are  superior  to  that  of  many  crou  ned  heads.*  It  is  a  no- 
torious and  lamentable  fact,  however  differently  it  may  be 
explained,  that  this  Company  has  opposed  the  introducdon 
of  Christianity  in  India.  Of  this  the  missionaries  have  of- 
ten complained. 

In  1806,  Mr.  Ward  thus  wrote  to  a  friend  in  Philadel- 
phia :  "  You  know  the  English  Company  don't  like  the 
Hindoos  to  be  converted  ;  and  it  is  a  part  of  their  charter, 
that  they  Mill  not  do  any  thing  to  change  their  religion. 
They  also  allow  none,  (except  by  sufferance)  but  their  own 
servants  to  settle  in  the  country.  We  have  been  also  late- 
ly prohibited  by  the  governor  from  interfering  widi  the 
prejudices  of  the  natives,  eidier  by  preaching,  distributing 
tracts,  sending  out  native  itinerants,  &c.  hi  short,  the 
governor  said,  as  he  did  not  attempt  to  disturb  the  preju- 
dices of  the  natives,  he  hoped  we  should  not.  I'hus  if 
we  were  to  obey  this  request,  in  its  literal  meaning,  we  must 
give  up  our  work,  altogether,  and  iitstead  of  wanting  fresh 
missionaries,  we  might  reship  those  we  aheady  have. 
But  it  is  impossible  to  do  this.  We  avoid  provoking  the 
government,  but  we  dare  not  give  up  our  work  at  the 
command  of  man.  We  have  written  home  on  the  subject, 
and  sought  relief  from  tnese  painful  restrictions  ;  but  what 
will  be  the  result  we  know  not." 

By  the  authority  of  this  company  missionaries  have  been 
ordered  back  ;  but  we  believe  that  God  has  ordered  them 
there,  and  \Aill  open  ways  for  their  stay  and  success.  Se- 
rampore,  where  the  mission  house  is  established,  is  under 
the  Danish  government,  which  has  always  protected  the 
missionaries,  and  shown  a  friendly  disposition  towards  their 
design.  It  was  with  a  view  to  these  advantages  that  our 
brethren  fixed  on  this  place  for  the  residence  of  the  mis- 
sion family. 

This  company  has  found  means  to  collect  a  revenue 
from  the  detestable  superstitions  of  the  Hindoos,  and  like 

*  Morse's  Geography,  Vol.  II.  p.  555. 


246  772(?  Munster  Affair, 

Demetrius  of  Ephesus,  they  fear  their  craft  will  be  in  dan- 
ger by  the  reforming  influence  of  gospel  light.  The  be- 
nighted Indians  are  obliged  to  pay  a  tax  for  the  privilege 
of  worshipping  the  obscene  and  bloody  Juggernaut,  the 
Moloch  of  the  East.  Dr.  Buchanan,  after  witnessing 
the  horrid  scenes  exhibited  at  the  worship  of  this  cruel 
deity,  observes,  "  How  much  I  wished  that  the  proprietors 
of  India  Stock  could  have  attended  the  wheels  of  Jugger- 
naut, and  seen  this  peculiar  source  of  their  revenue."* 

In  reviewing  the  progress  of  the  Baptist  mission  in  India, 
may  we  not  exclaim  with  gratitude,  What  hath  God 
nvroiight  !  Here  we  see  that  a  small  company  of  men, 
aided  only  by  the  voluntary  contributions  of  religious 
friends,  beset  with  hosts  of  adversaries,  thwarted  often  by 
the  unfriendly  policy  of  government,  opposed  by  idolatrous 
superstitions  of  immemorial  antiquity,  have  planted  the 
gospel  in  many  parts  of  India's  benighted  realm,  have 
presented  multitudes,  and  are  ready  soon  to  present  mul- 
titudes more  with  the  everlasting  word  of  God.  May  this 
effulgent  lamp  of  truth  dispel  the  mists  of  Bramin  darkness. 
May  this  sharp  two-edged  sword  demolish  the  Moloch  of 
the  East,  and  lead  to  the  worship  of  the  true  God  the 
millions  of  that  land  of  ignorance  and  error. 


CHAP.  VI. 

MUNSTER. 

The  Munster  affair,  like  an  evil  genius,  has  followed 
the  Baptists  all  over  the  world,  or  at  least,  wherever  they 
have  been  found.  As  all,  who  have  done  the  Anabaptists 
the  honour  of  writing  their  histor}^  have  begun  and  ended 
with  the  mad  men  of  Munster,  it  seems  proper  that  we 
should  say  something  respecting  them,  before  we  close  the 
accounts  of  the  Baptists  in  foreign  countries  and  ancient 
times. 

We  shall  in  the  first  place  give  some  account  of  the 
insurrection  in  Germany,  and  then  endeavour  to  show 
what  hand  the  Baptists  had  in  them. 

The  condition  of  the  peasants  in  Germany  in  the  year 
1524,  about  the  time  they  began  to  meditate  a  revolt  from 
the  galling  yoke  of  their  tyrannical  masters,  was  deplorable 
•  Researches  in  Asia,  p.  197. 


Principle  of  the  Feudal  System,  247 

indeed,  if  there  be  any  thing  to  deplore  in  a  deprivation  of 
most  of  the  ris^hts  and  hberties  of  rational  creatures. 

"  The  feudal  system,  that  execration  in  the  eyes  of  eve- 
ry being,  that  merits  the  name  of  man,  had  been  establish- 
ed in  early  ages  in  Germany  in  all  its  rigour  and  horror. 
It  had  been  planted  with  a  sword  reeking  with  human  gore 
in  the  night  of  barbarism,  when  cannibals  drank  the  warm 
blood  of  one  enemy  out  of  the  skull  of  another,  and  it  had 
shot  its  venomous  fibres  every  way,  rooted  itself  in  every 
transaction,  in  religion,  in  law,  in  diversions,  in  every  thing 
secular  and  sacred,  so  that  the  wretched  rustics  had  only 
one  prospect  for  themselves  ai.d  all  their  posterity,  one 
horrid  prospect  of  everlasting  slavery, 

*'  The  great  principle  of  the  feudal  system,  that  all  lands 
were  derived  from,  and  holden  mediately  or  immediately 
oi  the  crown,  was  always  productive  of  unjust  and  oppres- 
sive consequences,  tyranny  in  a  thousand  shapes,  under  the 
names  of  fines,  quit-rents,  alienations,  dilapidations,  ward- 
ships, heriots,  and  the  rest,  fleeced  the  unhappy  people, 
deprived  them  of  their  property,  depressed  their  spirits, 
and  drove  them  sometimes  to  despair  and  distraction.  To 
these  innumerable  evils  must  be  added  another  innumera- 
ble mass  brought  in  by  popery.  Tithes  great  and  small, 
christenings,  churchings,  marriage  dues,  offerings,  mortua- 
ries, with  a  thousand  other  servile  appendages  of  a  horrible 
system  of  oppression,  were  incorporated  in  a  pretended 
religion,  itself  the  greatest  affront  that  ever  was  offered  to 
the  reason  of  mankind. 

"  At  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  Germany 
was  divided  into  six  circles,  and  governed  by  sovereign 
princes,  whose  tyrannical  oppressions  would  exceed  be- 
lief, were  they  not  well  attested.  Of  the  great  number  of 
good  historians,  who  speak  of  the  rustic  war,  we  have  not 
seen  one,  who  pretends  to  deny  the  excessive  and  insup- 
portable tyranny  of  the  nobility  and  gentry,  or  one,  who 
does  not  expressly  affirm,  that  the  peasants  groaned  under 
intolerable  grievances,  which  they  were  no  longer  able 
to  bear. 

"  The  love  of  liberty,  which  is  natural  to  every  human 
being,  is  of  itself  an  ingenuous  and  active  principle,  but 
it  is  not  unfrequently  invigorated  by  circumstances,  and 
the  peasants  were  emboldened  by  several  favourable  cir- 


248  Lo'dc  of  Liberty  aeiuate  the  Peasants. 

cumstances  now.  The  attempt  was  not  only  just  in  itself, 
and  an  obedience  to  an  universal  and  almighty  impulse  ; 
but  in  the  present  case  it  was  countenanced  by  precedents, 
and  could  not  be  taxed  with  even  the  paltry  plea  of  novelty. 
"  There  is,"  says  Hume,  "  an  ultimate  point  of  depression, 
as  well  as  of  exaltation,  from  which  human  afFair^  natural- 
ly return  in  a  contrary  pros^ress,  and  bevoiid  which  they 
seldom  pass,  either  in  advancement  or  decline."  The 
German  peasants  sunk  to  this  ultimate  point  of  depression 
in  different  places  at  different  periods,  and  then  they  took  a 
contrary  direction,  and  made  noble  efforts  to  recover  their 
freedom.  Within  the  memory  of  the  present  insurgents, 
there  had  been  many  insurrections,  as  one  against  the  op- 
pressions of  the  bishop  and  canons  of  Spire,  in  1502, 
another  against  the  tyranny  of  a  neighbouring  abbot,  in 
14'U,  and  several  more.  The  recollection  oif  these  en- 
couraged the  present  peasants  to  rise.  This  was  their 
first  motive.  In  the  second  place,  good  authors  assure 
us,  that  they  expected  aid  from  their  neighbours  the  Swiss. 
A  third  circumstance  was  the  lamentable  condition  of 
both  church  and  state.  The  whole  of  their  wretched  lives 
were  spent  in  earning  money  for  a  cruel,  profligate,  and 
quarrelsome  set  of  gentry  to  consume  in  luxury  or  war  ; 
and  as  to  religious  privileges,  they  had  none.  A  fourth 
event  that  animated  them,  was  the  example  of  Luther., 
Within  the  last  seven  years,  Luther  and  his  associates  had 
broke  out  of  prison  and  set  tyranny  at  defiance.  All  Eu- 
rope knew  this,  and  as  all  had  as  many  reasons  and  as 
much  right  as  he  had,  all  were  agitated,  and  some  acted. 
Luther  h^d  published  in  1520  a  small  tract  in  German  on 
christian  liberty,  which  was  read  with  the  most  astonish- 
ing avidity,  and  the  contents  communicated  by  such  as 
could  read,  to  others  who  could  not.  Many,  it  appears, 
carried  Luther's  maxims  of  liberty  as  well  as  those  relat- 
ing to  baptism  farther  than  he  did,  and  much  farther  than 
he  intended  they  should.  He  had  renounced  the  authori- 
ty of  the  pope,  and  at  Wittemberg,  in  the  presence  often 
thousand  spectators,  committed  to  the  flames  both  the 
bull  that  had  been  published  against  him,  and  the  decre- 
tals and  canons  relating  to  the  pope's  supreme  jurisdic- 
tion. The  writings  and  examples  of  the  Saxon  Reformer 
could  not  but  stimulate  the  miserable  peasants  to  throw 


A  Rewliy  the  Cause  inqinred  into  and  ansvjered.      249 

off  the  enormous  load  of  tyranny  under  which  they  groan- 
ed.  Their  plan  was  fast  maturing,  and  many,  who  were 
neither  mad  men  nor  monsters,  favoured  their  cause. 
And  as  Germany  was  now  agitated  by  disputes  of  various 
kinds,  and  the  ancient  barriers  of  oppression  were  in  ma- 
ny phices  shaken,  this  seemed  a  favourable  juncture  for 
the  wretched  rustics  to  put  in  their  claim  for  some  por- 
tion of  that  freedom,  which  is  the  natural  right  of  every 
rational  being.  They  were  not  exclusi\ely  Anabaptists, 
nor  Lutherans,  nor  Catholicks  ;  but  they  were  a  mixture 
of  different  religious  opinions,  who  had  been  galled  to  the 
quick  by  the  horrid  tyranny  of  their  masters,  and  who, 
uniting  their  efforts  in  one  common  cause,  were  determin- 
ed to  be  free  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  But  a  wise  provi- 
dence saw  fit  not  to  favour  their  designs  ;  thev  were  de- 
feated and  ruined,  and  their  names,  by  a  thousand  writers, 
have  been  loaded  with  infamy  and  disgrace. 

"In  the  summer  of  1524,  the  peasants  of  Suabia,  oa 
the  estate  of  count  Lutfen,  sounded  the  alarm  of  a  revolt. 
The  counts  Lutfen  and  Furstenberg,  and  the  neighbour- 
ing gentry  in  Suabia,  uho  had  all  a  mutual  interest  in 
suppressing  the  insurrection,  and  who  had  entered  into  a 
confederacy  for  another  purpose,  agreed  to  suppress  them, 
and  Furstenberg,  in  the  name  of  all  the  confederates,  went 
to  inquire  into  their  grievances.  They  informed  him 
that  they  were  Catholicks,  that  they  had  not  risen  on  any 
religious  account,  and  that  they  required  nothing  but  a  re- 
lease from  those  intolerable  secular  oppressions,  under 
which  they  had  long  groaned,  and  which  they  neither 
v.ould,  nor  could  any  longer  bear.  The  second  insur- 
gents were  the  peasants  of  a  neighbouring  abbey,  and  they 
declared  as  the  first  had  done,  the  oppression  of  the  abbot, 
and  not  religion,  was  the  cause  of  their  conduct.  The 
neu's,  however,  flew  all  over  Germany,  and  the  next 
spring  three  hundred  thousand  men,  having  more  reason 
to  complain  than  the  first  had,  left  off  work,  and  assem- 
bled  in  the  fields  of  Suabia.  Franconia,  Thurinoia,  the 
Palatinate,  and  Alsace.  They  consisted  of  all  sorts  of 
peasants,  who  thought  themselves  aggrieved  in  any  man- 
ner. 

"  Of  all  the  teachers  in  Germany  at  this  time,  the  Bap- 
tists best  understood  the  doctrine  of  liberty  ;  to  them  there* 

VOL.  I.  32 


250  Thomas  Muncev. 

fore  the  peasants  turned  their  eyes  for  counsel.  Of  the 
Baptists  one  of  the  most  eminent  was  Thomas  Muncer  of 
Mulhausen  in  Thuringia.  He  had  been  a  priest,  but  he 
became  a  disciple  of  Luther,  and  a  great  favourite  with 
the  reformed.  His  deportment  was  remarkably  grave, 
his  countenance  uas  pale,  his  eyes  rather  sunk  as  if  he 
was  absorbed  in  thought,  his  visage  long,  and  he  wore  his 
beard.  His  talent  lay  in  a  plain  and  easy  method  of  preach- 
ing to  the  country  people,  whom  (it  should  seem  as  an 
itinerant)  he  taught  almost  all  through  the  electorate  of 
Saxony.  H'S  air  of  mortification  won  him  the  hearts  of 
the  rustics.  It  was  singular  then  for  a  preacher  so  much 
as  to  appear  humble.  When  he  had  finished  his  sermon 
in  any  village,  he  used  to  retire  either  to  avoid  the  crowd, 
or  to  devote  himself  to  meditation  and  prayer.  This  was  a 
practice  so  very  singular  and  uncommon,  that  the  people 
used  to  throng  about  the  door,  peep  through  the  crevices, 
and  oblige  him  sometimes  to  let  them  in,  though  he  re- 
peatedly assured  them,  that  he  was  nothing,  that  all  he 
had  came  from  above,  and  that  admiration  and  praise  \a  ere 
due  only  to  God.  The  more  he  fled  from  applause,  the 
more  it  followed  him.  The  people  called  him  Luther's 
curate,  and  Luther  named  him  his  Absalom,  probably, 
because  he  stole  the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel.  Muncer's 
enemies  say,  all  this  was  artifice.  It  is  impossible  to  know- 
that.  The  survey  of  the  heart  belongs  to  God  alone. 
This  was  not  suspected  till  he  became  a  Baptist.  They 
say  he  was  all  this  while  plotting  the  rustic  war  ;  but  there 
was  no  need  to  lay  deep  plots  to  create  uneasiness,  the 
gricAances  taught  the  peasants  to  groan,  and  rise,  and  fight 
before  Muncer  was  born,  and  nobody  ever  taxed  him  with 
even  knowing;  of  the  first  insurrections  now.  The  truth 
is,  while  Luther  uas  regaling  himself  with  the  princes, 
Muncer  was  preaching  in  the  countr}^  and  surveying  the 
condition  of  their  tenants,  and  it  is  natural  to  suppose  he 
heard  and  saw  their  miserable  bondage,  and  that  on  Lu- 
ther's plan  there  was  no  probability  oi"  freedom  flowing  to 
the  people. 

"Luther  wrote  to  the  magistrates  of  Mulhausen,  to  ad- 
vise them  to  require  Muncer  to  give  an  account  of  his 
call,  and  if  he  could  not  prove  that  he  acted  under  human 
authority,  then  to  insist  on  his  proving  his  call  from  Gcd  by 


Mtince  r  joins  the  Insurgents. . . .  His  Manifesto,         251 

working  a  miracle.  The  magistrates  fell  into  this  snare, 
and  so  did  the  monks,  for  persecution  is  both  a  catholick 
and  a  protestant  doctrine,  and  they  set  about  the  work. 
The  people  resented  this  refinement  on  cruelty,  especially 
as  coming  from  a  man,  whom  both  the  court  of  Rome,  and 
the  diet  of  the  empire  had  loaded  with  all  the  anathe- 
mas they  could  invent,  for  no  other  crime  than  that  for 
which  he  accused  his  brother,  and  they  carried  the  mat- 
ter so  far  in  the  end,  that  they  expelled  the  monks,  to 
which  the  Lutherans  had  no  objection,  and  then  the  mag- 
istrates, and  elected  new  Senators,  of  whom  Muncer  was 
one.  To  him,  as  to  their  only  friend,  the  peasants  all 
looked  for  relief. 

"  Muncer's  doctrine  all  tended  to  liberty  ;  but  he  had  no 
immediate  concern  in  the  first  insurrections  of  the  peas- 
ants. It  was  many  months  after  they  were  in  arms  before 
he  joined  them  ;  but  knowing  their  cause  to  be  just,  he 
drew  up  for  them  that  memorial  or  manifesto,  which  sets 
forth  their  grievances,  and  which  they  presented  to  their 
lords,  and  dispersed  all  over  Germany.  This  instrument 
is  applauded  by  every  writer  who  mentions  it,  as  a  master 
piece  of  its  kind.  Mr.  Voltaire  says,  a  Lycurgus  would 
haiie  signed  it.  It  vras  the  highest  character  he  could 
have  given  it.     Some,  by  mistake,  ascribe  it  to  Stapler. 

"  This  manifesto  consists  of  twelve  articles,  in  which 
are  set  forth  the  grievances  of  the  peasants,  and  the  re-, 
dress  which  they  required,  and  on  the  grant  of  which  they 
declared  themselves  ready  to  return  to  their  labours. 

I.  The  first  sets  forth  the  benefit  of  public  religious  instruction, 
and  they  pray  that  they  may  be  permitted  to  elect  their  own  ministers 
to  teach  them  the  word  of  God  without  the  traditions  of  men  ;  and 
that  they  may  have  power  to  dismiss  them,  if  their  conduct  be  rep- 
rehensible. 

II.  The  second  represents  that  the  laws  of  tithing  in  the  Old- 
Testament  ought  not  to  be  enforced  under  the  present  economy,  and 
praying  that  they  may  be  allowed  to  pay  the  tithe  of  their  corn,  and 
be  excused  from  paying  any  other  ;  and  that  this  may  be  divided 
by  a  committee  into  three  equal  parts,*the  first  to  be  applied  to  the 
support  of  their  teachers,  the  second  to  the  relief  of  poor  folks,  and 
the  third  to  the  payment  of  such  public  taxes  and  dues  as  had  been 
exacted  of  people  in  mean  circumstances. 

III.  The  third  sets  forth,  that  their  former  state  of  slavery  was 
disgraceful  to  humanity,  and  inconsistent  with  the  condition  of  peo= 
pie  freed  by   the  blood  of  Christ,  who   extended  the  benefits  of  his 

redemption  to  the  meanest  as  well  as  to  the  highest,  excepting  none  • 


252  Mimcer'^s  Manifesto. 

that  they  were  determuied  to  be  free,  not  from  the  control  of  magis- 
trates, whose  office  they  honoured  as  of  divine  appointment,  and 
whose  just  laws  they  would  obey  ;  that  they  did  not  desire  to  live  a 
licentious  life  after  their  own  sinful  passions  ;  but  they  would  be 
free  and  not  submit  to  slavery  any  longer,  unless  slavery  could  be 
proved  right  from  the  Holy  Scripture. 

IV.  The  fourth  shews,  that  they  had  hitherto  been  deprived  of 
the  liberty  of  tishing,  fowling,  hunting,  and  taking  animals  wild  by 
nature  ;  which  prohibition  was  mcomj)atible  with  natural  justice, 
the  good  of  society,  and  the  language  of  Holy  Scripture  ;  that  in 
many  ulaces  they  had  not  been  suffered  even  to  chase  away  the  wild 
animals  that  devoured  their  herbage  and  their  corn,  which  was  a 
great  injury  to  them,  contrary  to  all  principles  of  justice,  and  to  that 
free  grant  of  wild  animals,  which  the  Creator  of  tLe  world  bestowed 
on  all  mankind  at  the  beginning  ;  that  they  did  not  desire  to  enter 
by  force  on  an\'  man's  private  property  great  or  small,  under  any 
pretence  of  right  to  fish,  but  they  prayed  that  pretended  private 
privileges  might  yield  to  equal  publick  benefit. 

V.  The  hfth  sets  forth,  tliat  the  forests  were  in  the  hands  of  a  few- 
great  men,  to  the  inexpressible  damage  of  the  miserable  poor,  who 
had  been  obliged  to  pay  double  the  value  of  wl.at  little  wood  they 
Tvanted  for  hring  or  repairs  ;  they  therefore  prayed,  that  such  woods 
and  forests,  as  had  not  been  purchased  and  become  private  property, 
either  of  individuals,  or  of  corporate  bodies,  ecclesiastical  or  civil, 
might  hereafter  be  reserved  for  the  public  use  ;  that  they  mii^ht  be 
allowed  to  cut  wood  for  necei-sary  buiiding,  repairs,  and  tiring,  with- 
out anv  expense,  under  the  direction,  however,  of  a  board  of  wood- 
wards duly  elected  for  the  purpose  ;  that  in  case  the  forests  could 
all  be  proved  to  be  private  property,  then  the  matter  should  be  ami- 
cably adjusted  between  themselves  and  the  proprietors. 

VI.  Tlie  sixth  sets  forth  the  various  hardships  of  base  and  uncer- 
^  iin  villenage,  the  innumerable  and  ill-timed  services,  which  the 
iords  obliged  their  tenants  to  perform,  which  kept  increasing  every 
year,  and  which  had  become  absolutelv  intolerable  ;  they  ]ray  that 
these  services  may  be  moderated  by  the  princes,  according  to  laws  of 
equity,  and  the  precepts  of  the  gospel,  and  that  i;o  other  burdens 
might  be  imposed  on  them,  than  such  as  were  wan  anted  by  ancient 
custom. 

V  n.  The  seventh  complains  of  almsos  in  rcjard  to  such  tenures 
of  farms,  lands,  and  tenements,  as  were  called  Lmeficiaiy,  and  orig- 
inally held  on  certain  terms  fixed  in  the  Hist  grants,  as  then  agreed 
on  between  the  grantors  and  tlie  grantees,  but  wl  icl)  were  now  cf  urg- 
ed with  a  great  many  oppressive  fines,  fees,  aiid  payments  detri- 
mental to  the  tenants  ;  they  pray  that  these  tenures  may  be  held  in 
future  on  the  terms  of  the  original  grants. 

Vni.  The  eighth  article  regards  the  rents  of  the  farms,  held 
from  year  to  year  ;  they  complain  that  these  annual  lenls  far  ex- 
ceeded the  worth  of  the  lands,  and  they  pray  that  honest  and  iiiHif- 
ferent  men  may  be  employed  to  survev  the  estates,  and  report  the 
fair  value,  and  that  the  princes,  if  the  rents  should  appear  enormous, 
would  remit  a  part,  so  that  the  husbandmen  might  be  allowed  a  cer- 


Mimcer's  Manifesto.  253 

tain  livelihood,  and  not  reduced  as  they  had  been  to  extreme  indi- 
gence, as  every  workman  is  worthy  oi  his    meat. 

IX.  The  ninth  com[jlains  of  the  wanton  exercise  of  the  power  of 
making  and  executing  penal  statutes  ;  ttiey  s^ay  that  new  laws  were 
daily  published,  creating  new  crimes,  and  uiilicting  new  tines  and 
penalties,  not  for  the  improvement  of  society,  but  merely  for  pre- 
tences to  extort  money,  and  for  the  gralihcation  of  private  resent- 
ment, or  partial  attacljment  ;  they  pras ,  therelbre,  that  justice  may 
not  1)6  leit  to  the  care  of  discretion  or  alfection,  but  administered 
according  to  ancient  written  forms. 

X.  The  tenth  sets  forth,  that  formerly  there  was  reserved  in  eve- 
r}-  village  in  Germanvj  commons  which  had  been  granted  to  the  in- 
habitants ;  that  now  they  were  monopolized  and  held  as  private 
property  to  the  total  exclusion  of  the  poor  ;  that  the  lords  had  seiz- 
ed them  under  pretence,  that  they  were  only  indulgencies,  which 
former  lords  in  times  of  security  had  granted  for  a  little  while  to 
their  tenants  for  pasturage  only  ;  that  they  were  employed  now  only 
to  maintain  a  great  number  of  useless  horses  for  luxury  or  for  need- 
less wars  ;  that  they  reclaimed  these  commons,  and  did  not  allow 
this  late  prescription  the  value  of  a  good  title,  and  therefore  they  re- 
quired the  holders  to  restore  them,  unless  they  would  rather  choose 
to  make  a  purchase  of  them,  and  in  thai  case  they  engaged  to  settle 
the  business  on  friendly  and  brotlierly  terms. 

XI.  The  eleventh  complains,  that  the  demand  ofheriotsis  the 
most  unjust  and  inhuman  of  all  oppressions  ;  that  the  atHiction  of 
the  widow  and  children  for  the  loss  of  their  father  and  friend,  ap- 
pointed by  Heaven  to  be  their  guardian,  made  no  impression  on  the 
officers  ;  that  instead  of  pitying  the  survivors,  and  supplying  the 
place  of  the  deceased,  they  increased  their  wretchediess,  b}  swal- 
lowing up  all  their  property  ;  they  required  therefore  that  the  cus- 
tom of  claiming  heriots  should  be  utterly  abolished. 

XII.  The  last  article  says,  that  this  memorial  contains  their 
present  grievances  ;  that  they  are  not  so  obstinately  attached  to  these 
articles,  as  not  to  give  up  any  one  on  receiving  conviction  that  it  was 
contrary  to  the  w  ord  of  God  ;  that  they  w  ere  ready  to  admit  any 
additions  agreeable  to  truth  and  scripture,  tending  to  promote  the 
glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of  mankind  ;  and  that  though  this 
memorial  contained  a  list  of  their  present  grievances,  yet  they  did 
not  mean  by  this  to  preclude  the  liberty  of  making  such  future  re- 
monstrances as  might  be  found  necessary. 

These  are  the  infernal  tenets,  the  damnable  anabnp- 
tistical  errors,  (garbled  and  recorded  by  their  enemies  too) 
which  the  Pedobaptists  of  all  orders,  from  Luther  to  the 
present  time,  have  thought  lit  to  execrate  ut^.der  all  the 
most  monstrous  names  that  malice  and  ra3:e  for  persecu- 
tion could  iiivent.  For  almost  three  hundred  years  hath 
this  crime  of  the  Baptists  been  visited  upon  their  descend- 
ants. 


254  Rustic  War  not  a  heedless  Rebellion. 

Thus  we  see  that  the  Rustic  War  was  not  a  wanton  and 
heedless  rebellion  of  unprincipled  men,  but  was,  on  the 
contrary,  a  serious  and  patriotic  attempt  to  throw  off  a 
cruel  and  excessive  yoke,  which  could  no  longer  be  borne. 
*'  And  had  they  succeeded,  ten  thousand  tongues  would 
have  celebrated  their  praise.  Indefatigable  writers  would 
have  sifted  every  action  to  the  bottom,  tried  the  cause  by 
rules  of  equity,  examined  the  credibility  of  every  witness, 
and  would  not  have  suffered  improbable,  contradictory, 
and  even  impossible  tales,  told  by  ignorant  and  interested 
men,  to  have  seized  the  credit  and  honour,  which  are  due 
to  nothing  but  impartial  truth.  If  the  procuring  of  liber- 
ty for  three  hundred  thousand  wretched  slaves,  and  their 
posterity,  had  been  accompanied  with  some  imperfec- 
tions, and  even  with  some  censurable  actions,  the  latter 
•would  have  been  attributed  to  an  unhappy  fatality  in  hu- 
man revolutions,  and  in  comparison  with  the  benefits 
thrown  into  the  great  scale  of  human  happiness,  they  would 
have  diminished  till  they  had  totally  disappeared." 

Great  political  struggles  have  always  been  attended  with 
acts  more  or  less  unjustifiable  upon  the  principles  of  war, 
reason,  or  humanity.  Many  will  attach  themselves  to 
large  bodies  of  warriors,  who  voluntarily  rise  in  defence  of 
their  rights,  whom  neither  the  voice  of  reason,  nor  the  au- 
thority of  generals  can  restrain  from  acts  of  violence  and 
injustice.  Alany  such  acts  were  undoubtedly  committed 
in  different  parts  of  Germany,  by  the  \\  retched  rustics, 
who  had  been  provoked  by  enormous  oppressions,  to  a 
high  degree  of  resentment ;  but  we  may  also  conclude, 
that  their  censurable  actions  have  been  greatly  exaggerated 
by  a  set  of  prejudiced  and  defaming  historians. 

We  shall  now  go  back  to  the  beginning  of  these  insur- 
rections, and  endeavour  briefly  to  describe  the  progress 
of  insurgents  till  they  were  defeated  and  dispersed. 

In  the  spring  of  1525,  we  are  informed,  that  tliree  hun- 
dred thousand  men  left  off  work,  and  assembled  in  the 
fields  of  Suabia,  Thuringia,  the  Palatinate,  and  i\lsace. 
They  soon  after  published  a  manifesto,  setting  forth  their 
grievances  and  stating  their  demands.  Men  in  power 
viewed  them  as  an  ignorant  herd,  who  might  be  easily 
brow-beaten  out  of  their  demands,  and  terrified  into  sub- 
mission.    Luther  began  to  be  greatly  alarmed,  for  he  found 


Luther  alarmed. 


^Jbt) 


himself  deeply  implicated  in  the  affair.  Many  pretended 
that  they  had  received  their  notions  of  liberty  from  his 
writings,  and  that  they  were  stimulated  in  their  present  at- 
tempts by  his  example  of  throwing  off  the  papal  yoke. 
Luther,  in  this  critical  situation,  wrote  four  pieces  on  the 
subject  of  the  threatening  affairs.  The  first  was  an  an- 
swer to  the  peasants'  manifesto.  The  second  was  ad- 
dressed to  the  German  princes,  and  in  it  he  taxes  them 
with  having  caused  all  the  present  ills  by  their  excessive 
tyranny.  To  this  he  added  a  third,  addressed  to  both 
princes  and  peasants,  setting  forth  the  wickedness  of  ty- 
rannical governors,  and  the  calamities  of  seditious  insurrec- 
tions, and  he  advised  both  parties  to  settle  their  disputes, 
and  be  at  peace  for  the  public  good  of  Germany.  This 
was  good  advice,  but  neither  party  gave  heed  to  it.  The 
princes  continued  their  oppressions  and  the  peasants  per- 
sisted in  their  demands,  which  they  had  determined  to 
support,  peaceably  if  they  could^  forcibly  if  tbey  must  ;  and 
now  they  begun  their  operations.  When  Luther  found 
nobody  minded  his  papers,  he  drew  up  a  fourth,  addressed 
to  the  princes,  in  which  he  conjures  them  to  unite  their 
force  to  suppress  sedition,  to  destroy  these  robbers  and 
parricides,  who  had  thrown  off  all  regard  for  magistracy, 
&c.  About  this  time,  Mosheim  informs  us,  "  kings, 
princes,  and  sovereign  states,  exerted  themselves  to  check 
these  rebels  and  enthusiasts  in  their  career,  by  issuing  out 
first,  severe  edicts  to  restrain  their  violence,  and  by  employ- 
ing at  length,  capital  pimishments  to  conquer  their  obsti- 
nacy." But  their  number  was  too  powerful  to  be  easily 
restrained  or  soon  reduced.  In  different  places,  under 
different  leaders,  they  drove  forward  in  those  destructive 
measures  always  attendant  on  war.  This  army  of  the 
peasants  w^as  a  promiscuous  assemblage  of  various  char- 
acters, some  were  Anabaptists,  some  Lutherans,  some 
Catholicks,  some  christians,  and  some  republicans,  but 
the  greater  part,  we  have  reason  to  suppose,  had  no  fixed 
principles  either  in  religion  or  politics,  but  were  deter- 
mined to  throw  off  the  oppressive  yoke  of  their  tyrannical 
masters. 

They,  it  seems,  first  made  themselves  masters  of  Mul- 
hausen,  an  imperial  city  in  Alsace  :  here  they  expelled 
the  monks  and  magistrates,  and  elected  x'i^w'  senators,  of 


256       Munster  taken. . . .  Moshcim''s  Account  ofMumtcr, 

whom  Muncer  was  one  ;  and  it  was  in  a  pitched  battle 
near  this  town  that  the  peasants  were  defeated  and  Mun- 
cer was  slain. 

The  populous  city  of  Munster  was  taken  by  these  revo- 
lutionists in  1533,  and  held  by  them  about  three  years. 
"  Munster  is  the  capital  city  of  the  bishopric  so  called  iu 
the  circle  of  Westphalia,  it  is  the  largest  of  all  the  West- 
phalian  bishopricks  andNields  the  bishop,  who  is  a  prince 
of  the  empire,  seventy  thousand  ducats  a  year.  There 
are  in  the  city  five  collt  giate  and  six  parish  churches,  a 
college  belonging  to  the  Jesuits,  a  great  number  of  con- 
vents, and  other  religious  houses.  The  chapter  consists 
of  forty  noblemen,  and  maintains  seven  regiments  of 
soldiers." 

Such  was  the  state  of  this  city,  according  to  Robinson, 
before  the  late  revolutions.  Munster  is  rendered  famous 
in  the  history  of  the  Baptists,  both  by  the  censures  of  their 
enemies,  and  the  apologies  of  their  friends  ;  but  after  all 
that  has  been  said  on  both  sides,  I  am  sorry  to  find  that  so 
imperfect  an  account  has  been  given  by  either,  of  the 
memorable  tragedy  which  was  acted  here,  and  which  has 
been  handed  down  to  posterity  by  a  thousand  Pedo-bap- 
tist  writers,  as  an  everlasting  monument  of  infamy  to  the 
Baptists,  and  a  thundering  memento  against  the  dangerous 
principles  of  believer's  baptism.  At  Munster  was  brought 
to  a  close  the  Rustic  War,  not  by  treaty,  but  by  the  defeat, 
and  the  indiscriminate  slaughter  of  the  rustics,  and  the  ut- 
ter extirpation  of  their  confederacy.  I  find  no  description 
of  the  scenes,  which  v.ere  transacted  here,  except  that 
given  by  Mosheim  ;  and  as  his  account  of  the  Rustic 
War  is  throughout  peculiarly  unfair,  we  have  good  reasons 
for  concluding  that  his  history  of  the  Munster  affair  is  of 
the  same  character.  According  to  this  prejudiced  author, 
''  certain  Dutch  Anabaptists  chose  this  city  for  the  scene 
of  their  horrid  operations,  and  committed  in  it  such  deeds, 
as  would  surpass  all  credibility,  were  they  not  attested  in  a 
manner  that  excludes  every  degree  of  uncertainty.  A 
handful  of  mad-men,  under  the  guidance  of  John  Matthi- 
son,  John  Bockhold,  or  John  Leyden,  and  one  Gerhard, 
made  themselves  masters  of  the  populous  city  of  Munster, 
deposed  the  magistrates,  committed  enormous  crimes — 
made  this  city  the  seat  of  their  New-Jerusalem,  and  pro- 


Rustic  War  lasted  ek'ven  Tears.  557 

claimed  John  of  Ley  den,  who  was  a  tailor,  king  of  their 
new  hierarchy."  Thus  Mosheim  ascribes  the  whole  of 
the  Minister  affair  to  a  handful  of  mad  Anabaptists.  They 
must  indeed  have  foui^ht  like  the  band  of  Leonidas  to  have 
taken  this  famous  capital.  No,  it  was  not  a  handful  of 
mad  Anabaptists  ;  it  was  a  powerful,  and  probably  the 
main  division  of  the  army  of  the  peasants,  that  besieged 
and  took  this  city,  which  henceforward  became  their  prin- 
cipal place  of  rendezvous,  and  from  which  they  sent  forth 
agents  and  detachments  to  other  places.  What  were  the 
horrid  crimes  they  committed  we  are  not  informed,  but 
we  may  conclude  they  were  such  as  are  always  attendant 
on  war  and  conquest.  They  are  complained  of  for  depos- 
ing the  magistrates,  &c.  This  is  truly  a  ridiculous  charge. 
They  must  have  been  fools  indeed,  not  to  have  taken  the 
gcwernment  of  the  city,  which  they  had  fairly  conquered, 
out  of  the  hands  of  their  enemies,  and  put  it  in  those  of 
their  friends.  Thev  made  Johu  Bockhold  kina:  or  chief 
legislator.  But  what  was  there  novel,  or  wicked,  or 
ridiculous  in  this  ?  Every  one  acquainted  with  the  history 
of  Germany,  knows  that  it  abounded  with  free  imperial 
cities,  which  were  independent  of  any  foreign  power,  and 
were'  ^-overned  by  their  own  legislators  and  laws.  The 
peasants,  in  makint;  Munster  an  independent  sovereignty, 
acted  in  perfect  conformity  with  the  maxims  and  examples 
of  their  country,  and  they  doubtless  had  sufficient  reasons 
for  making  John  of  Leyden,  though  a  tailor  by  trade,  their 
chief  magistrate.  "  But  the  reign,"  says  Mosheim,  "  of 
this  tailor  king  w^as  transitoi-y,  and  his  end  deplorable. 
For  the  city  of  Munster  was,  in  the  year  1536,  retaken 
after  a  siege  of  fourteen  months,  by  Count  Waldeck,  the 
bishop  and  sovereign  of  the  place,  &:c."  This  worldly 
ecclesiystic  \^  as  doubtless  assisted  by  the  other  princes  of 
Germany.  John  of  Leyden  was  put  to  a  most  painful  and 
ignominious  death,  the  confederacy  of  the  peasants  was 
broken,  and  multitudes  of  them  suffered  death  in  the  most 
cruel  and  tormenting  forms.  Vengeance  and  havock  eve- 
ry where  pursued  those  who  had  been  any  ways  concerned 
in  the  Rustic  War. 

We  shall  now  close  with  some  general  observations  on 
this  unhappy  affair.  We  have  thus  seen  that  the  Rustic  War 
lasted  about  eleven  years,  and  that  the  number  of  the  first 

VOL.  I.  33 


2*8  Causes  of  the  War^ 

insurgents  was  three  hundred  thousand.  Many  of  them 
were  doubtless  either  persuaded  or  terrified  soon  to  return 
to  their  former  stations  and  employments.  And  wejuay 
reasonably  suppose  that  according  to  the  success  or  adver- 
sity which  attended  the  measures  of  the  peasants,  so  their 
number  increased  or  diminished. 

Mosheim  has  ascribed  the  whole  of  this  unhappy  war 
to  the  influence  of  religious  fanaticism,  and  has  cast  the 
whole  odium  of  it  on  the  German  Anabaptists.  This 
statement  is  certainly  both  erroneous  and  unfair.  That 
much  fanaticism  mingled  with  the  operations  of  this  war, 
and  that  many  Anabaptists  were  concerned  in  it,  we  do 
not  deny  ;  but  it  was  the  freedom  of  their  country,  and 
not  the  defence  of  their  creed,  which  led  them  to  unita 
with  the  struggling  peasants. 

Dr.  Isaac  Milner,  the  brother,  and  continuator  of  the 
history  of  the  late  Joseph  Milner,  has  touched  upon  the 
tumults  of  Germany,  and  his  account,  though  by  no  means 
free  from  the  prejudice  of  his  party  is  by  far  more  candid 
and  probable  than  Mosheim's.  He  acknowledges  that 
"  the  causes  of  the  Rustic  War,  or  the  war  of  the  peas- 
ants, were  purely  secular.'''"^ 

A  writer  in  the  Encyclopedia  observes,  "  It  must  be 
acknowledged  that  the  rise  of  the  numerous  insurrections  of 
this  period  ought  not  to  be  attributed  to  religious  opinions. 
The  first  insurgents  groaned  under  the  most  grievous  op- 
pressions. They  took  up  arms  principally  in  defence  of 
their  civil  liberties  ;  and  of  the  commotions  that  took 
place,  the  Anabaptist  leaders,  viz.  Muncer,  Stubner, 
Stork,  &c.  seem  rather  to  ha\e  availed  themselves,  than 
to  have  been  the  prime  movers."  This  writer  concludes 
that  "  a  great  part  of  the  main  body  was  Anabaptists  ;'■ 
this  may  be  true  when  we  consider  in  how  vague  and  in- 
definite a  sense  the  term^  was  then  used  ;  "  that  a  great 
part  also  were  Roman  Catholicks,  and  a  still  greater  of  per- 
sons who  had  no  religious  opinions  at  all."  "  Bishop 
Jewel,  in  his  defence  of  the  Apology  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
land in  reply  to  Harding,  &c.  answers  thus  :  The  hundred 
thousand  Boors  in  Germany  of  whom  you  speak,  for  the 
greatest  party  were  ad\ersaries  unto  Luther,  and  under- 

•  Vol.  V.  p.  31?. 


• 


Mow  far  the  Anabaptists  ivere  concernedin  the  JVar.   259 

stood  no  part  of  the  gospel  ;  but  conspired  together  as 
they  said  against  the  cruelty  and  oppression  of  their 
lords,"  &c.* 

Most  writers  compute  the  number  of  those,  who  perish- 
ed in  these  insurrections,  at  a  hundred  thousand,  and  that 
they  were  nearly  all  Anabaptists.  If  this  statement  be 
correct,  the  German  Anabaptists  were  literally  a  church 
militant,  engaged  in  a  very  unsuccessful  campaign.  And  this 
church  was  truly  large,  for  besides  the  hundred  thousand 
slain  in  war,  many  thousands  were  left  to  be  dragooned, 
tortured,  burnt,  drowned,  confined  in  prisons,  and  driven 
into  exile.  This  statement  gives  the  dippers  much  more 
than  they  ask.  They  do  not  pretend  that  there  ever  were 
at  one  time  in  Germany,  any  where  near  a  hundred  thou- 
sand advocates  for  their  sentiments. 

But  Dr.  Alilner  from  Beausobre  has  made  a  statement 
which  seems  very  likely  to  be  near  the  truth.  He  sup- 
poses that  this  unfortunate  war  cost  Germany  the  lives  of 
more  dian  fifty  thousand  men  ;t  that  is,  of  both  sides,  for 
many  of  the  oppressors  were  slain,  although  the  peasants 
were  the  greatest  sufferers. 

It  is  not  our  wish  to  justify  acts  of  violence  in  men,  by 
whatever  name  they  are  called,  nor  to  apologize  for  the 
censurable  acts  of  these  rising  peasants,  whom  oppression 
had  made  mad.  We  do  not  deny  that  many,  who 
bore  the  name  of  Anabaptists,  were  found  in  their  ranks. 
Many  of  them  were  doubtless  such  Anabaptists  as  we  have 
found  in  Poland,  who  had  rejected  infant  baptism,  but  who 
had  never  been  baptized,  nor  were  fit  subjects  for  the  or- 
dinance. And  multitudes,  v.'ho  '.vere  reputed  Anabap- 
tists, we  have  good  reasons  for  believing,  had  no  religious 
principles  at  all,  but  were  so  called  by  way  of  reproach, 
because  they  had  adopted  their  notions  of  civil  liberty. 
Although  some  of  the  measures  pursued  by  the  peasants 
cainiot  be  justified,  yet  thev  set  out  in  a  righteous  cause 
as  their  Manifesto  shows.  Baptist  ministers  were  induced 
from  this  consideration,  to  encourage  their  attempts,  to 
become  chaplains  in  their  armies,  and  this  again  induced 
many  of  their  brethren  to  enlist  under  the  standards  of  the 
strugglers  for  freedom.  Many  who  were  Baptists  both 
in  ppinciple  and  practice,  appear  to  have  entertained  the 

*  Ivimey  in  a  note  p.  S&%         .t  V9I,  V.  p.  357. 


260  Anabaptists  differ  respecting  the  War. 

erroneous  opinion  so  prevalent  at  a  certain  time  in  Eng- 
land  among  those  who  were  called  tilth  monarchy  men, 
that  dominion  is  founded  in  grace,  that  the  pure  church 
establishment  to  which  they  were  aspiring,  was  to  be  un- 
der the  protection  and  guidance  of  religious  rnlers, 
who  were  to  found  a  pure  christian  repiiblick,  to  be 
governed  wholly  by  the  laws  of  Christ.  Those  who  had 
not  imbibed  this  opinion,  w-ere  induced  to  h.)pe  that  some 
good  would  come  out  of  the  struggles  of  the  peasants,  afid 
that  the  present  commotions  of  Gern\any  would  setde 
down  in  some  system  favourable  to  their  views.  Many 
others  doubtless  united  with  the  revolutionary  party,  ei- 
ther of  their  voluntary  accord,  or  by  the  persuasion  of  their 
friends,  without  much  reflection  on  the  subject,  only  they 
knew  their  present  condition  u  as  wretched,  and  they  hoped 
that  it  might  be  made  better  in  the  end.  But  some  of  the 
Baptists  of  these  times,  it  appears,  were  opposed  to  the 
Rustic  War  altogether.  We  are  informed  that  a  teacher 
by  the  name  of  Peter  was  beheaded  at  Amsterdam  as  guil- 
ty of  the  late  insurrection,  who  had  used  his  utmost  en- 
deavours to  hinder  it.  But  the  whole  crime  of  the  civil 
w^ar  was  laid  to  the  charge  of  the  Anabaptists,  and  all,  who 
bore  their  name,  whether  they  were  such  or  not,  were 
marked  out  as  the  objects  of  vengeance  and  death.  If 
they  had  not  taken  a  part  in  the  insurrections,  it  was  con. 
sidered  their  principles  lead  to  them,  and  therefore  they 
were  every  where  extirpated  w'nh  fire  and  swo^d. 

But  why  has  the  whole  blame  of  the  tuiruits  in  Ger- 
many been  aluays  cast  upon  the  Baptists  ?  It  has  been 
their  unhappiness  to  have  some  hand  in  other  scenes  of  a 
similar  nature.  Many  Baptists  were  in  Ziska's  army  in 
Bohemia,  which  besieged  towns  and  took  them,  pulled 
down  monasteries,  expelled  monks,  and  seized  upon  their 
revenues,  and  dealt  out  destruction  and  death  to  all  who 
opposed  them.  In  the  army  of  Cromwell  were  many  who 
had  espoused  the  Baptist  principles,  and  two  of  the  regi- 
cides of  Charles  the  first,  viz.  Harrison  and  Hutchinson, 
became  Baptists  after  the  death  of  the  king.  Harrison 
was  at  one  time  but  a  little  below  the  Protector  in  authori- 
ty and  intiuence,  Hutchinson  was  governor  of  Nottingham. 
Baptists  uere  in  the  Parliament,  in  the  navy,  and  army  of 
t'he  Commonwealth.     Some  were  also  engaged  in  the  ill- 


All  Panics  anxious  to  clear  themsehes  of  Reproach.    261 

fated  expedition  of  the  Duke  of  Monmouth,  the  rival  of 
James  the  second.  But  for  all  these  overt  acts  they  have 
received  a  public  pardon.  Why  have  they  not  been  charg- 
ed with  being  the  promoters  of  the  civil  wars  in  Eng- 
land, of  the  tumults  of  the  commonwealth,  and  the  mur- 
der of  the  EngUsh  monarch  ?  This  would  be  as  just  as  to 
charge  them  with  being  the  authors  of  the  insurrections 
in  Germany.  Why  have  not  historians  dealt  as  fai.  ly  in 
the  case  of  Germany,  as  in  that  of  England,  and  given  to 
each  party  its  due  proportion  of  blame  ? 

The  following  seems  the  only  satisfactory  solution  of 
this  mysterious  affair.  Ail  parties  are  anxious  to  clear 
themselves  of  the  reproach  of  an  unsuccessful  and  unpop- 
ular enterprize.*  Such  an  one  was  that  of  the  German 
peasants.  The  Catholick  historians  of  the  times  excuse  all 
their  brethren,  who  were  concerned  in- it,  and  lay  the 
whole  blame  at  the  door  of  Luther  and  the  reformation. 
The  Lutheran  historians,  from  whom  the  English  took  their 
accounts,  endeavoured  to  clear  themselves  by  accusing  the 
Anabaptists  of  being  the  prime  movers  and  principal  pro- 
moters of  the  insurrections.  The  papists  were  doubtless 
very  unfair  and  erroneous,  in  charging  the  reformation 
with  being  the  direct  cause  of  the  troubles,  wars,  and  com- 
motions, of  which  it  was  certainly  no  more  than  the  iadi- 
rect  and  innocent  occasion  ;  but  they  were  not  mistaken 
when  they  charged  the  Lutherans  \\  ith  being  deeply  en- 
gaged in  the  Rustic  War.     The  Lutherans  have  conceded 

•  The  American  war  terminated  in  a  glorious  manner,  and  a'l  who  were 
concerned  in  it  were  loaded  with  applauses,  and  hailed  as  the  deliverers  of 
their  country.  But  the  grievances  of  the  American  people  were  trifling  com- 
pared with  those  of  the  German  peasants  But  suppose  the  fortune  of  'var 
had  turned  against  the  struggling  Americans,  how  different  would  have  been 
their  fate !  What,  in  such  a  case,  would  have  been  said  of  those  Baptist 
brethren,  who  enlisted  under  the  revolutionary  standard,  whose  e'll^giu^l 
was  pronounced  by  the  immortal  Washington  ?  What  character  would 
have  been  given  of  those  ministers,  who  promoted  the  war  by  every  means 
in  their  power,  who  became  chaplains  in  the  armies,  and  dwelt  in  the  ca?nps 
of  the  warriors  ?  Backus,  Gano,  Stillman,  Manning,  Smith,  Kogers,  and 
others,  instead  of  being  the  subjects  of  eulogium  for  the  part  they  to'.k  in 
the  war,  would  have  been  loadecl  with  infamy,  and  branded  with  the  cdi-Mis 
names  of  rebels,  fanaticks,  and  the  ring-leaders  of  a  seditious  m'sititude. 
They  would  have  been  the  Muncers,  Stubners,  Storks,  Bockholds,  Phiff^rs, 
and  Knipperdolings  of  America. 

The  American  people  took  up  arms  in  defence  of  their  civil  rights,  but  it 
is  well  known  that  many  of  our  Baptist  brethren  had  their  eye  upon  advan- 
tages of  a  religious  nature,  which  actually  arose  to  them,  especiallv  in  New- 
England,  out  of  the  principles  and  agitations  of  the  war,  as  v/ill  be  more 
fiilly  illustrated  in  the  next  chapter. 


262        Catholicks  charge  the  \^hole  rustic  War  upon 

that  some  of  their  party  perverted  and  misconstrued  the  re- 
formers' doctrine  of  christian  liberty,  and  flocked  to  the 
standard  of  the  rebels.  But  the  papists  are  not  content 
with  these  concessions,  they  have  constantly  laid  the 
WHOLE  mischief  of  this  intestine  dissension  at  the  door  of 
Luther  and  his  disciples,  &c.  "  This,"  say  they,  "  is 
the  fruit  of  the  new  doctrine  !  This  is  the  fruit  of  Lu- 
ther's gospel  !"^- 

It  is  cerlain  that  the  disturbances,  in  the  very  city  of 
Munster,  were  begun  by  a  Pedobaptist  minister  of  the 
Lutheran  persuasion,  whose  name  was  Bernard  Rotman 
or  Rothman  ;  that  he  was  assisted  in  his  endeavours  by 
other  minibters  of  the  same  persuasion  ;  and  that  they  be- 
gan to  stir  up  tumults,  that  is,  teach  revolutionary  princi- 
ples, a  year  before  the  Anabaptist  ring-leaders,  as  they  are 
called,  visited  the  place. f 

These  things  the  papists  knew,  and  they  failed  not  to 
improve  them  to  their  advantage.  They  uniformly  insist- 
ed that  Luther's  doctrine  led  to  rebellion,  that  his  disci- 
pies  were  the  prime  movers  of  the  insurrections,  and  they 
also  asserted  that  a  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  Lutherans 
perished  in  the  Rustic  War.ij: 

Such  were  the  aspersions  cast  upon  the  Lutheran  party 
by  the  papists.  And  though  many  Catholicks  were  en- 
gaged in  the  war,  yet  the  Lutherans  knew  it  would  be  un- 
availing to  retort  upon  them  ;  for  whatever  resistance  the 
oppressed  Catholicks  had  shown,  the  Catholick  doctrine  did 
not  lead  to  it,  for  that  taught  nothing  but  blind  and 
dumb  submission  to  every  law  of  their  superiors,  whether 
eivil  or  religious.  But  as  the  Anabaptists  were  the  advo- 
cates for  liberty,  and  as  many  of  them  had  taken  a  part  in 
the  war  which  they  hoped  would  set  them  free,  the  Lu- 
therans found  it  easy  to  cast  all  the  blame  upon  them. 
And  they  having  no  one  to  tell  their  story  as  it  was,  nor 
put  in  any  plea  for  them,  which  could  be  heard,  the  Mun- 
ster affair,  as  it  was  first  related  by  the  Lutheran  historians, 
has  been  transmitted  from  one  generation  to  another, 
without  any  correction  or  amendment  ;  it  has  been  trans- 
cribed  by  a  thousand   Pedobaptist   pens,  as  a   salutary 

»  Milner,  Vol.  V.  p.  320.    Ibid,  p.  327. 
t  Ivimey,  p.  16.    Mosheim  in  a  note.  Vol.  IV.  p.  438. 
%  Milner,  Vol.  V.  p.  SSTl 


Luther andhis  Disciples. ..Indcpendentsreproached.  263 

memento  for  the  seditious  dippers  ;  it  is  the  dernier  re^ 
sort  of  every  slanderous  declaimer  against  them  ;  it  is  the 
great  gun,  the  idtima  ratio  of  every  disputant,  which  they 
keep  in  reserve  against  the  time  of  need. 

But  why  all  this  din  about  Munster  and  the  War  of  the 
Peasants,  since  every  body  knows,  who  knows  any  thing  of 
the  matter,  that  it  was  not  a  quarrel  about  baptism,  but 
about  the  feudal  system  ;  that  it  was  not  for  water,  but 
in  opposition  to  the  horrid  oppressions  of  the  princes, 
that  the  German  peasants  rose. 

Why  are  not  the  Independents  and  the  Congregatibn- 
alists  their  offspring,  visited  from  age  to  age  with  the 
deeds  of  a  few  of  their  zealous  predecessors,  and  of  the 
promiscuous  multitude,  who  attached  themselves  to  their 
cause,  and  bore  their  name  ?  They  were  accused  by 
theirenemies  of  every  thing  horrid  and  flagitious.  *' The 
most  eminent  English  writers,  not  only  among  the  pa- 
trons of  episcopacy,  but  even  among  those  very  Presby- 
terians, with  whom  they  are  now  united,  have  thrown 
out  against  them  the  bitterest  accusations  and  the  sever- 
est invectives,  that  the  warmest  imagination  could  in- 
vent. They  have  not  only  been  represented  as  delirious, 
mad,  fanatical,  illiterate,  factious,  and  ignorant  both  of 
natural  and  revealed  religion,  but  also  as  abandoned  to 
all  kinds  of  wickedness  and  sedition,  and  as  the  onlv 
authors  of  the  odious  parricide  committed  on  the  person 
of  Charles  I.  Rapin  represents  the  Independents  under 
such  horrid  colours,  that  were  his  portrait  just,  they 
could  not  deserve  to  enjoy  the  light  of  the  sun  or  breathe 
the  free  air  of  Britain,  much  less  to  be  treated  with  in- 
dulgence and  esteem  by  those  nho  have  the  cause  of 
virtue  at  heart."* 

But  Mobhtim  could  discover  the  tongue  of  slander  in 
thtie  representations  ;  he  could  apologize  for  the  Inde- 
pendents so  far,  that  Dr.  Maclaine  has  thought  it  neces- 
sary to  give  him  a  check.  He  could,  in  giving  their  his- 
tory, adopt  "  the  wise  and  prudent  maxim,  not  to  judge 
of  the  sjiirit  and  principles  of  a  sect,  from  the  actions  or 
expressions  of  a  handful  of  its  members,  but  from  the 
manr.ers,  customs,  opinions,  and  behaviour  of  the  general- 
ity of  those  v.'ho  compose  it,  &c."  But  no  such  things 
could  be  thought  of  in  treatingof  the  German  Anabaptists, 

*   Mosheim,  toI.  v.  p,  381—2.        Ibid.  p.  38C. 


264     Presbyterians  reproached.,,. closing  Obser'Dations. 

Why  this  partiality  in  cases  so  exactly  alike  ?  The  an- 
swer is  plain,  the  Independents  held  to  infant  baptism, 
which  the  Anabaptists  rejected. 

The  respectable  body  of  Presbyterians  have  at  different 
times  been  loaded  with  the  foulest  aspersions.  A  certain 
writer  observes,  that  "  the  Presbyterians  in  England,  in 
the  meridian  of  their  strength,  differed  from  popery  only 
as  a  musket  differs  from  a  cannon,  or  as  a  kept  mistress 
from  a  street- walking  prostitute."  Millot,  in  speaking  of 
the.  Parliament  army,  says  "  it  breathed  only  the  fervour  of 
Pr^sbyterianism  and  the  rage  of  battle  ;  and  knew  no  pleas- 
ures hul  prayer  and  military  duty."  We  forbear  to  select 
examples  of  the  kind,  and  these  we  have  related  with  no 
other  view,  than  to  show  the  reader  the  impropriety  of 
judging  of  the  character  of  a  sect  or  party  from  the  accounts 
of  its  adversaries. 

We  shall  now  close  our  observations  on  the  affair  of 
Munster.  The  sum  and  substance  of  the  matter  as  rep- 
resented by  the  adversaries  of  the  Baptists,  is,  that  they 
had  no  existence  in  the  christian  world  until  the  begin- 
ning of  the  sixteenth  century  ;  that  then  they  originated  all 
at  once,  in  a  stormy,  seditious  period,  out  of  the  scum  of 
the  reformation,  and  increased  so  rapidly,  that  in  a  very 
short  time,  they  led  about  a  quarter  of  a  million  into  the 
field  to  defend  and  propagate  their  opinions,  and  that  a 
hundred  thousand  of  them  were  slain  !  !  !  The  sum  and 
substance  of  the  matter  as  understood  and  conceded  by 
the  Baptists,  vre  ha\e  already  stated.  We  have  shown 
before,  that  our  denomination  did  not  originate  with  the 
tumults  of  Germany,  but  with  John  the  Baptist,  in  the  land, 
of  Palestine,  fifteen  hundred  years  before  they  happened.  It 
is  hoped  that  no  Pedobaptist  will  in  future  follow  us  with 
the  riot  of  Munster,  or  the  seditions  of  Germany  ;  but  if 
they  do,  \\e  can  only  inform  them,  that  we  shall  consider, 
as  \\e  always  have  done,  that  for  the  want  of  argument 
they  resort  to  slander. 

\\  e  have  thus  endeaAoured  to  give  a  general  view  of 
our  Baptist  brethren  iji  countries  abroad  and  in  times  of 
old,  ai'd  we  have  seen  that  they  have  generallv  been  de- 
scribed by  all  historians,  as  a  dangerous  set  of  men,  whose 
principles  lead  to  rebellion  and  sedition,  and  that  for  this 
reason  they  have  been  proscribed  in  some  governments. 


^he  Cause  of  the  Sufferings  of"  Baptists.  265 

banished  from  others,  and  in  others  burnt  and  drowned, 
and  allowed  to  live  no  where  only  as  a  matter  of  favour 
and  indulgence.  Why  should  they  thus  be  universally 
abhorred  and  persecuted  ?  Baptism  is  a  thing  so  inoffen- 
sive in  itself,  that  if  it  were  repeated  every  month,  no  seri- 
ous consequences  could  follow  to  any  one,  except  to  the 
person  baptized.  There  must  be  something  more  than 
water  in  this  affair  ;  and  that  something  is,  that  the  Bap- 
tists have  held  from  time  immemorial  that  the  civil  magis- 
trate hath  no  right  to  give  or  enforce  law  in  matters  of  re- 
ligion and  conscience.  This  principle  has  been  at  the  bot- 
tom of  all  their  sufferings  in  every  age.  And  this  princi- 
ple hath  subjected  the  Quakers  and  Independents,  prop- 
erly so  called,  to  the  terrible  persecutions,  which  they  have 
at  different  times  endured.  The  Baptists,  Independents 
and  Quakers  have  each  their  peculiarities,  but  they  are 
the  best  qualified  to  live  together  of  any  three  sects  m 
Christendom  ;  for  they  all  separate  religion  from  civil  pat- 
ronage, they  are  each  willing  that  every  one  should  be  his 
own  judge  in  matters  of  conscience,  and  all  tiiat  either  of 
them  has  ever  asked  of  civil  government  is  to  be  let  alone. 
This  article  has  been  extended  to  a  much  greater  length 
than  was  first  intended  ;  but  it  is  hoped  that  it  will  not,  on 
that  account,  be  the  less  acceptable  to  the  reader.  We 
shaL  now  turn  our  attention  to  the  American  sh^re* 


VOL.  I.  34 


CHAP.  VII. 


A  GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN 
AMERICA. 


EPOCH    FIRST, 

IN  the  Proposals  for  this  work,  it  was  suggested  that 
the  history  of  the  American  Baptists  would  be  preceded  by 
four  Epochs  or  General  Divisions,  in  which  their  progress 
and  circumstances  would  be  comprehensively  related  in  a 
chronological  order.  These  Epochs  v.  ere  intended  to  be 
nothing  more  than  brief  compendiums  of  the  histr)ry  of  our 
brethren  from  time  to  time.  The  preparation  of  them  has 
been  deferred  imtil  the  history  of  each  State  has  been  made 
out,  and  as  most  historical  facts  of  importance  have  been 
already  related,  they  will  be  shorter  than  it  was  at  first 
expected. 

The  first  Epoch  was  to  begin  with  the  banishment  of 
Roger  Williams,  and  to  end  with  1707,  when  the  Philadel- 
phia Association  uas  formed.  But  it  has  been  thought 
best  under  this  head  to  go  back,  to  the  discovery  of  Ameri- 
ca, to  give  a  brief  account  of  the  settlement  of  its  diiferent 
parts,  and  to  take  a  general  view  as  we  go  along  of  its  re- 
ligious afiairs. 

In  the  year  1492,  October  the  12th,  this  part  of  the 
world,  siPiCe  called  America,  was  discovered  by  Christo- 
pher  Columbus,  a  Genoese,  in  the  service  of  the  king  of 
Spain.  The  first  land  made  by  this  adventurer,  was  one 
of  the  Bahama  Islands,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  San 
Salvador.  Thus  a  new  world  was  discovered,  in  which 
much  cruelty  and  oppression  has  been  practised,  especially 
by  the  merciless  Spaiiiards  ;  in  which  much  liberty  and 
happiness  has  been  enjoyed  ;  and  in  which  there  have  been 
many  signal  displays  of  the  grace  of  God.  Setdements 
were  made  in  many  parts  of  the  American  continent  before 
any  were  effected  in  that  portion  of  it  which  is  now  includ- 
ed in  the  United  States. 


Discoiicry  of  America. 


267 


The  following  table,  taken  from  Morse's  Geography, 
exhibits  in  one  view  the  settlements  of  the  different 
States,  and  the  names  of  those  by  whom  they  were 
effected. 


Ufames  of  places. 

Quebec, 

Virj^inia, 
Newfoundland, 
New-York,  ) 
New-Jersey,    3 

Plymouth, 

?few-Hampshire, 

Delaware,  7 

Pennsylvania,  3 

Massachusetts  Bay, 
Maryland, 

Connecticut^ 

Rhode-Island, 

New-Jersey, 

South-Carolina, 
Pennsylvania, 


When  settled. 

16O8 

iGlOor  iGll 

June,    1610 

about  1614 
1620 


1623 
1627 

1628 
1633 

1635 

1635 

1664 

1669 
1682 


North-Carolina,  about    1728 


Georgia, 
Kentucky, 

Vermont, 

Territory  N.W.  of 
Ohio  river,  J 

Tennessee, 


1732 
1773 

baout     1 764 


1787 
1789 


By  ivhom. 

By  the  French. 

By  Lord  De  la  War. 

By  Governour  John  Guy. 

By  the  Dutch. 

By  part  of  Mr.  Robinson's  con- 
gregation. 

By  a  small  English  colony  near 
the  mouth  of  Piscataqua  river. 

By  the  Swedes  and  Finns. 

By  Capt.  John  Endicot  and  com- 
pany. 

ByLoid  Baltimore,  with  a  colony 
of  Roman  Cattiolicks. 

By  Mr.  Fenwick,  at  Saybrook, 
near  the  mouth  of  Connecticut 
river. 

By  Mr.  Roger  Williams  and  his 
persecuted  brethren. 

Granted  to  the  Duke  of  York  by 
Charles  II.  and  made  a  distinct 
government,  and  settled  some 
time  before  this  by  the  English. 

By  Governour  Sayle. 

By  William  Penn,  with  a  colony 
of  Quakers. 

Erected  into  a  separate  govern- 
ment. Settled  before  by  the 
English. 

By  General  Oglethorp. 

By  Col.  Daniel  Boon. 

By  emigrants  from  Connecticut 
and  other  parts  of  N.  England. 

By  the  Ohio  and  other  companies. 

Became  a  distinct   government^ 
settled  many  years  before. 


The  above  dates  are    mostly   from  the  periods   when 
the  first  permanent  settlements  were  made.'* 

By  this  table  it  appears  that  a  permanent  settlement  was 
effected  in  Virginia,  ten  years  before  the  fathers  of  New 


268      Eeligious  Character  of  the  Settlers  of  each  State, 

England  landed  at  Plymouth.  Some  temporary  settle- 
ments had  been  made  in  the  country  about  twenty  years 
bt  fore. 

Most  of  the  first  settlers  of  America  were  merely  world- 
ly adventurers,  who  were  induced  to  encounter  the  dangers 
of  a  distant  voyage,  and  the  hardships  of  a  wilderness  from 
the  prospects  of  temporal  advantages.  Those  who  came 
front  Ei>gland,  which  was  by  far  the  greatest  number,  v\ere 
for  tlie  most  part  Episcopalians.  There  were,  however, 
intermixed  in  almost  all  the  different  companies  of  emi- 
grants, dissenters  of  different  names,  and  among  them  we 
have  reason  to  bclie\e  there  were  of  the  Baptists  a  few. 

it  does  not  appear  that  there  w  ere  in  any  of  die  colonies, 
any  religious  establishm.ents,  which  acquired  much  peima- 
nency,  or  that  carried  'htiracts  of  intolerance  to  any  consid- 
erable degree,  except  in  Virginia,  Massachusetts,  and  Con- 
necticut. 1  he  Episcopal  church  was  tlie  Cbtai  lished  religion 
of  the  Carclinas,  but  it  had  neither  the  spirit  nor  pov\er  of 
persecuting  dissenters,  to  any  great  exierit.  Maryland  was 
founded  by  Rouian  Catholicks,  but  they,  difierent  horn 
their  brethren  in  the  old  world,  were  always  tolerant  and 
jTsiid.  Penns}lvania  ^\as  founded  by  Quakers,  who,  like 
the  Bajjtists  in  Rhode- Island,  would  never  establish  any 
religious  law  s,  and  of  course  there  could  be  no  religious 
persecutions.  New-York  and  iSew -Jersey  were  setiied 
by  a  mixture  of  people  of  many  nations  ar;d  religions,  but 
it  is  probable  a  majority  of  the  settlers  were  Episcopalians. 
I  do  not  find  that  there  ever  was  any  religious  establish- 
ment in  New-Jersey;  but  I  am  incliied  to  think  that  Epis- 
copacy was  for  a  time  the  established  religion  of  New- 
York.  Mr.  Wirhenden  of  Providence,  Rhode-Island, 
was  imprisoned  there  four  months  for  preaching  the  gos- 
pel, sometime  before  the  }ear  1669  ;  and  in  the  year  17:28, 
the  Baptist  meeting-house,  then  newly  built,  was  licensed 
and  entered  as  the  toleration  act  required.  These  things 
scent  of  Babylon,  and  indicate  an  ecclesiastical  establish- 
ment, but  1  do  not  find  that  it  was  piosecuted  with  nuich 
rigour,  and  it  has  now  been  so  long  done  away,  that  there 
are  probably  but  few  who  know  that  it  ever  existed. 

Episcopacy  took  deep  lOOt  in  the  siroiig  soil  of  Virginia, 
and  an  account  of  its  sj)irit,  its  measures,  and  end,  will  be 
given  in  the  history  of  the  Baptists  in  that  State.     Rhode- 


In  ivhat  States  Religious  Estahllshments  nuere  formed.  269' 

Island  has  always  from  first  to  last  maintained,  and  glori- 
ed in  maintaining,  liberty  of  coiibcience,  in  the  strictest  and 
most  unqualified  sense  ;  and  ifccordingly  none  of  its  re- 
cords are  stained  with  laws  to  regulate  religious  worship, 
or  « ith  acts  to  oppress  or  favour  dissenters. 

New-Hanipshire  and  Vermont  have  done  but  little  in  the 
outrageous  business  of  distressing  the  persons  and  spoil- 
ing the  goods  of  dissenters  ;  and  the  newer  States  have 
altogether  let  alone  this  wretched  work.  We  must  now 
come  to  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  and  with  pain 
we  must  relate  that  these  States,  which  were  planted  by  a 
religious  Colony,  and  which  have  been  the  nurseries  of 
much  piety  and  virtue,  have,  notwithstanding,  been  the 
most  distinguished  of  any  in  the  Union,  for  intolerance 
and  oppression,  la  these  States,  ecclesiastical  establish- 
ments have  taken  the  deepest  root  of  any  part  of  the 
American  empire  ;  they  have  been  defended  by  the  civil 
potver,  and  have  manifested  an  unwaverini>-  and  obstinate 
pcTbeverance  in  enforcing  their  iniquitous  maxims,  and  in 
encroaching  on  the  liberties,  and  despoiling  the  goods  of 
di>>senters. 

The  spirit  of  the  church  was  sometimes  high  in  Virgin- 
ia, and  for  a  while  persecution  raged  with  violence  ;  but  it 
was  earned  on  chiefly  by  a  band  of  unprincipled  church- 
men, whose  main  object  seems  to  have  been,  to  molest 
the  persons  and  distarb  the  meetings  of  dissenters. 

But  the  New- England  persecutors  have  taken  generally 
a  different  course.  They  have  had  their  eyes  on  the  goods 
of  dissenters  more  than  on  their  persons.  If  they  would 
but  pay  their  parish  taxes,  they  might  worship  when  and 
how  they  pleased.  But  if  any  one  was  so  heretical  as  to 
refuse  his  money  towards  building  a  meeting-house  within 
the  parish  lines,  which  might  happen  to  encircle  him,  or 
to  support  a  preacher  which  he  never  chose,  nor  wished  to 
hear,  then  he  must  look  out  for  writs,  constables,  sheriffs, 
courts,  priests  and  lawyers,  stripes,  prisons,  and  forfeitures, 
and  the  whole  sanctimonious  procession  of  ecclesiastical 
tormentors.  So  rigorous  were  the  New-Englanders  in 
enforcing  their  taxing  laws,  that  Esther  White  of  Rayn- 
ham,  about  thirty  miles  from  Boston,  was  thrown  into 
prison  for  a  ministerial  tax  oi  eight-pence,  which  she  refus- 
ed  to  pay,   because  she  had  separated  from  the  parish  wor- 


270  Curious  Acts  of  Legislation. 

ship.  After  lying  in  prison  almost  a  year,  she  was  let  out 
without  paying  the  tax,  by  the  rehgious  gentry,  who  put 
her  in.* 

The  American  war  was  peculiarly  auspicious  to  the 
cause  of  religious  liberty  in  Massachusetts,  and  the  other 
Colonies,  where  religious  establishments  were  enforced 
with  rigour.  Ail  denominations  unitedly  engaged  in  re- 
sisting the  demands  of  Great- Britain.  But  her  demands 
were  no  more  unreasonable  nor  unjust,  than  those  which 
the  predominant  party,  whether  Congregational  or  Epis- 
copalian, made  on  dissenters.  The  Baptists  and  other 
dissenters  did  not  fail  to  make  a  proper  use  of  this  argu- 
ment. And  although  many  attempted  to  explain  it  away, 
yet  many  others  saw  and  ackno\vledged  its  force. 

Many  of  the  first  settlers  of  New-Eiigland  were  pious 
and  worthy  men,  among  them  however  were  many  of  a 
different  character  ;  but  they  all  united  in  building  up  the 
New-England  church  establishments. 

The  first  Pedobaptist  churches  here  required  the  can- 
didates for  admission,  to  give  a  verbal  account  of  their  re- 
ligious experience.  But  in  process  of  time  they  were  per- 
mitted to  give  in  their  relations  in  writing,  and  this  prac- 
tice is  still  continued  by  those  churches  w^hich  require 
any  experience  at  all.  The  ancient  church  of  Plymouth 
changed  their  way  of  receiving  members  from  verbal 
to  written  relations  in  1705. f  Others  had  probably  done 
it  before. 

The  great  mistake  of  the  New^^-England  fathers  lay 
in  taking  the  laws  of  Moses  for  the  commands  of  Christ, 
and  blending  the  Jewish  and  Christian  dispensations  to- 
gether. And  indeed  from  this  source  have  originated  all 
the  evils  which  have  overrun  the  christian  world,  and  de- 
luged it  wivh  blood.  By  this  means,  unholy  men  are  en- 
trusted w  ith  the  regulation  of  religious  concerns.  They 
know  nothing  of  its  nature,  they  feel  nothing  of  its  power, 
and  under  their  dominion  the  saints  of  God  have  always 
had  occasion  to  say,  "  for  thy  sake  we  are  killed  all  the 
day  long." 

The  New-Enarland  fathers  were  certainlv  men  of  under- 
standing,  and  yet  many  of  their  legislative  acts  and  eccle- 

•  Backus'  Church  History,  Vol.  II.  p.  194.     f  Vol.  I.  p.  47.    Vol.  II.  p.  29. 


Half-way  Coi^enanu  271 

siastical  proceedings   were  absurd  and  ridiculous  in  the 
extreme. 

In  1638,  the  Assembly  of  Massachusetts  passed  a  law 
to  compel  excommunicated  persons  to  seek  to  be  restored 
to  the  churches  which  liad  cast  them  out.  "  Whosoever 
shall  stand  excommunicated  for  the  space  of  six  mouths, 
without  labouring  what  in  him  or  her  lieth  to  be  restored, 
such  person  shall  be  presented  to  the  Court  of  Assistants, 
and  there  proceeded  with  by  fine,  imprisonment,  baiiish- 
ment,  or  further  for  the  good  behaviour,  as  their  contenipt 
and  obstinacy  upon  full  hearing  shall  deserve."- 

In  1656,  a  famous  dispute  arose  upon  this  question, 
Whether  the  children  of  those,  who  are  not  immediate 
members  of  churches,  should  be  baptized.  The  Connec- 
ticut people  took  the  lead  in  this  affair.  They  sent  twen- 
ty one  questions  to  their  brethren  in  Massachusetts  re- 
specting it  ;  an  ecclesiastical  assembly  was  called,  which 
set  fifteen  days,  in  deliberating  upon  this  weighty  matter. 
They  answered  the  Connecticut  questions,  but  did  not 
settle  the  dispute.  It  raged  throughout  the  country  a 
number  of  years,  and  many  churches  were  divided  by  it. 
A  considerable  party  contended  that  if  parents  who  were 
not  church  members,  should  own  the  covenant,  which 
their  parents  made  for  them  when  they  were  %T'initiated 
into  the  churchy  then  they  should  have  the  privilege  of 
getting  their  children  baptized,  j  And  in  this  way  orig- 
inated what  is  called  the  half  way  covenant,  which  is  still 
practised  upon  by  many  Congregational  churches.  What 
a  pity,  that  any  anxious  parent  should  have  so  much 
trouble  about  the  christening  of  his  dear  babes.  If  it  is 
such  a  peculiar  advantage,  as  their  ministers  contend  for, 
it  is  certainly  hard,  that  any  poor  child  should  be  debarr- 
ed from  it.  While  this  dispute  was  going  on,  some,  it 
appears,  found  a  way  of  getting  rid  of  all  difficulties,  by- 
having  the  children  baptized  on  their  grand-parents  ac- 
count ;  but  it  was  contended  on  the  other  hand,  that  in 
such  a  case,  they  would  be  bound  to  take  the  charge  of 
their  education.  Such  frivolous  controversies  were  agitat- 
ed by  the  renowned  fathers  of  New- England.     They  arose 


•  Backus,  Vol.  I.  p.  98. 
\  This  statement  is  paraphrased  a  little,  but  the  sense  is  retained. 


272       I^ise  of  the  first  Baptist  Churckes  in  America. 

not  from  a  want  of  ability  in  the  men,  but  from  the  absur- 
dity of  the  principles,  which  they  had  adopted. 

The  witchcrait  affair  was  the  most  melancholy  and  de- 
grading of  any  ever  acted  in  New-England.  It  began  irr 
1692,  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Parris,  a  Congregational  minis- 
ter of  Salem,  where  two  girls  oi  ten  or  eleven  years  of  age 
were  taken  wirh  uncommon  and  unaccountable  complaints. 
A  consultation  of  physicians  was  called,  one  of  whom  was 
of  opinion  that  they  were  bewitched.  An  Indian  woman, 
a  servant  in  the  family,  was  accused  of  being  the  witch. 
From  small  beginnings,  the  bewitching  distemper  spread 
through  several  parts  of  the  province,  till  the  prisons  were 
scarcely  capable  of  containing  the  number  of  the  accused. 
This  distressing  affair  lasted  about  fifteen  months,  nineteen 
persons  were  executed,  one  was  prest  to  death,  and  eight 
more  were  condemned  ;  the  whole  number  amounted  to 
twenty  eight,  of  whom  above  a  third  part  were  members 
of  some  of  the  Pcdobaptist  churches  in  New-England. 
Among  the  sufferers  was  a  Mr.  Burroughs,  formerly  min- 
ister ot  Salem. 

The  New-England  people  at  first  supported  their  min- 
isters in  a  voluntary  way,  probably  by  weekly  contribu- 
tions. But  in  1638,  a  law  was  made  that  every  inhabi- 
tant, who  would  r.ot  voluntarily  contribute  his  portion,  &c. 
should  be  compelled  thereto  by  assessment  and  distress,  to 
be  levied  by  the  constable  or  other  officer  of  the  town  as 
in  other  cases.  This  was  the  beginning  of  that  iniqui- 
tous policy  which  has  caused  the  Baptists  in  New-England 
so  much  vexation  and  distress. 

The  beginning  of  our  brethren  in  America  will  be  re- 
lated under  the  head  of  each  respective  State,  and  the 
banishment  of  Rofi:er  Williams  mav  be  found  under  that 
of  Rhode-Island.  The  church  which  he  founded  at  Prov- 
idence, in  1639,  was  the  first  of  the  Baptist  denomination 
in  the  American  continent,  'i'he  first  church  in  Newport, 
Rhode  Island,  founded  in  1644,  by  Dr.  Joh?)  Clark,  was 
the  second  ;  the  second  in  th^^t  town,  formed  in  1656,  was 
the  third  ;  the  church  in  Swansea,  begun  by  John  Miles, 
in  1663,  was  the  fourth  ;  and  the  first  in  Boston,  founded 
first  in  Charlestown,  in  1665,  by  Thomas  Gould,  was  the 
fifth.     In  forty  years  from  the  founding  of  the  last  men- 


Rise  of  the  first  Baptist  Churches  in  America.       273 

tioned  church,  there  arose  eleven  more  in  the  following  or- 
der :  Seventh-Day,  Newport,  1671  ;  Tiverton,  Rhode 
Island,  1685  ;  Middletown,  New-Jersey,  1688  ;  Penne- 
peck,  now  called  Lower-Dublin,  Pennsylvania,  1689  ; 
Pi-icataway,  New-Jersey,  the  same  year ;  Charleston, 
South-Carolina,  1690  ;  Cohansey,  New-Jersey,  1691  ; 
•2d  Swansea,  16^3  ;  Welsh-Tract,  Delaware,  1701 ; 
Groton,  Connecticut,  1705  ;  Seventh-Day,  Piscatav/ay, 
New- Jersey,  1707  ;  The  first  church  in  Philadelphia 
was  in  reality  formed  in  1698,  although  it  has  generally- 
been  dated  in  1746,  when  it  was  re-organized. 

Thus  in  almost  a  hundred  years  after  the  first  setdement  of 
America,  only  seventeen  Baptist  churches  had  arisen  in  it. 
Nine  of  them  were  in  New-England.  Of  these  seventeen 
churches,  only  four,  that  is,  the  three  in  Massachusetts,  and 
the  one  in  Connecticut,  M-ere  put  to  any  trouble  on  account 
of  their  religious  principles  ;  and  of  these  four,  the  one  at 
Boston  felt  most  of  the  hard  hand  of  civil  coercion.  This 
church  was  treated  in  a  most  oppressive  and  abusive  man- 
ner, as  will  be  shown  in  the  history  of  Massachusetts. 

EPOCH    SECOND. 

In  1707,  the  Philadelphia  Association  was  formed  of 
the  five  following  churches,  viz.  Pennepeck,  Middletown, 
Piscataqua,  Cohansey,  and  Welch  Tract.  This  Asso- 
ciation was  the  first  in  x\merica  ;  it  has  always  maintained, 
a  regular  and  respectable  standing,  and  has  been  from  its 
commencement  to  the  present  time  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant institutions  of  the  kind. 

From  1707  till  1740,  about  twenty  new  churches  were 
raised  up  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States;  some 
were  of  an  Arminian  cast  ;  but  most  of  them  adopted  the 
Cah  inistic  faith.  Three  or  four  became  extinct  in  a  few 
years,  but  the  rest  remain  till  the  present  time. 

During  the  period  under  consideration,  no  very  remarka- 
ble event  appears  to  have  occurred.  The  churches  in 
New-England,  except  those  in  Rhode-Island,  were  perse- 
cuted and  fleeced  ;  those  in  other  parts  were  left  at  liberty 
to  serve  God,  and  dispose  of  their  property  as  they 
pleased. 

VOL.  I.  35 


274  Origin  of  the  Separates, 

EPOCH    THIRD. 

About  1740,  a  very  powerful  work  of  grace  began  in 
New  England,  and  prevailed  much  in  other  parts  of  the 
Uniter'  States.  It  was,  by  way  of  derision,  called  the  Neiv 
Light  Stir.  This  work  commenced  under  the  ministry  of 
that  honoured  servant  of  God,  the  famous  George  White- 
field,  \\ho  was  then  travelling  as  a  flaming  itinerant  along 
the  American  coast.  "  The  most  remarkable  things/^ 
says  a  late  writer,  "  that  attended  the  preachiiig  of  Mr. 
Whitefield  was  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Multitudes 
were  awakened  b}'  his  means  and  brought  to  bow  to  the 
sceptre  of  Immanuel.  Many  ministers  opposed  his  course, 
but  many  others  caught  his  zeal,  ran  to  and  fro  with  the 
tidings  of  salvation,  and  knowledge  was  almost  every  where 
increased.  This  work  began  generally  among  the  Pedo- 
baptists,  and  where  they  opposed  it,  separation  ensued. 
And  here  originated  the  term  Separates,  which  was  first 
applied  to  Pedobaptist  and  afterwards  to  Baptist  churches. 
Separate  churches  were  formed  all  over  New-England. 
In  many  parts  of  the  country  there  was  hardly  a  town  or 
parish  in  which  they  were  not  to  be  found.  Some  pushed 
on  their  zealous  measures  to  an  enthusiastic  extreme,  but 
most  of  them  acted  a  sober  and  rational  part  ;  their  views 
were  highly  evangelical,  and  their  maxims  of  gospel  dis- 
cipline were  generally  clear  and  consistent.  They  per- 
m.itted  all  to  exhort,  who  had  gifts  to  edify  their  brethren; 
ihey  ordained  ministers  of  those  v. ho  were  instructed  in 
the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom,  whether  they  were  learned 
or  not.  They  took  the  Bible  alone  for  their  guide,  and  of 
course,  Bciptist  principles  soon  prevailed  amongst  them. 
Yqty  singular  scenes  were  soon  exhibited  in  New-Eng- 
land. Pedobaptists  were  seen  persecuting  their  brethren, 
and  casting  them  into  pi  ison  because  they  were  too  relii^ious. 
The  clergy  of  Connecticut  determined  that  the  New  Light 
Stir  was  not  according  to  law  ;  they  therefore  stimulated 
their  rulers  to  attempt  its  regulation.  A  law  was  actually 
made  to  prohibit  one  minister  from  going  into  the  parish 
of  another,  to  preach  and  exhort  the  people,  unless  he  were 
particularly  invited.  Upon  this  law  a  number  of  their  own 
ministers  were  prosecuted,  and  Mr.  afterwards  Dr.  Finley, 
President  of  Princeton  College,  New- Jersey,  was  transport- 


The  Separates  become  Baptists. . . .  Winchester,        275 

ed  as  a  vagrant  person,  from  one  constable  to  another,  out 
of  the  bounds  of  the  land  o^  steady  habits. 

We  have  already  observed  that  Baptist  principles  soon 
began  to  prevail  among  the  Pedobaptist  Separates.  All 
their  doctrine  tended  that  way,  and  those  who  followed  it 
whither  it  led  embraced  believers'  baptism.  Many  Bap- 
tist churches  arose  out  of  those  Separate  societies,  and  the 
late  venerable  Backus  of  Middleborough,  Hastings  of  Suf- 
field,  and  a  number  of  other  Baptist  ministers,  were  at 
first  of  their  connexion. 

Towards  the  conclusion  of  the  American  war,  and  for 
a  number  of  years  subsequent  to  the  termination  of  that 
serious  conflict,  there  were  very  extensive  revivals  of  re- 
ligion in  different  parts  of  the  land,  and  Baptist  principles 
almost  every  where  prevailed.  In  the  year  1780,  accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Backus,  there  were  not  less  than  two  thousand 
persons  baptized  in  the  New-England  States  only.  In 
ten  years,  beginning  with  1780,  and  ending  with  1789, 
considerably  over  two  hundred  churches  were  organized 
in  different  parts  of  the  United  States.  During  this  peri- 
od a  number  of  ministers,  and  with  them  a  considerable 
number  of  brethren,  fell  in  with  Elhanan  Winchester's  no- 
tion of  Universal  Restoration.  The  rage  for  this  doctrine 
prevailed  for  a  time  to  a  considerable  extent  ;  but  it  was 
at  length  found  to  be  easier  to  let  sinners  down  into  a  dis- 
ciplinary purgatory,  than  it  was  to  get  them  out  again,  and 
this  visionary  scheme  is  now  generally  exploded  by  all, 
among  the  Baptists  at  least,  who  profess  any  regard  for 
gospel  truth.  Those  ministers  who  embraced  it,  general- 
ly descended  to  other  errors  of  a  blasting  nature,  or  else 
sunk  into  obscurity  and  insignificance.  Mr.  Winchester, 
the  author  or  rather  reviver  of  it  in  modern  times,  was  for 
a  while  a  very  popular  preacher  among  the  Baptists.  He 
\vas  indeed  in  some  respects,  and  particularly  in  memory, 
a  prodigy  of  nature,  and  his  talents  and  address  were  such, 
that  he  was  sure  to  command  followers  and  applause  of 
some  kind  or  other,  wherever  he  went,  and  whatever  he 
preached.  His  theory  of  Universalism  was  borrowed 
from  a  German  author,  to  which  he  added  some  things 
from  the  reveries  of  his  own  eccentric  imagination.  His 
scheme  appears  never  to  have  been  well  digested,  and  it 
is  thought  by  many,  that  he  would  have  abandoned  it,  had 


276  John-Asplund. 

it  not  been  for  the  difficulty  of  saying,  /  'voas  mistaken. 
But  he  died  rather  suddenly  in  the  ujidst  of  hirs  singular 
career,  and  those,  who  knew  him  best,  entertain  different 
opinions,  respecting  his  acquaintance  with  the  religion  of 
the  heart. 

In  1790,  John  Asplund  published  his  first  Register  of 
the  Baptist  denomination  in  America.  This  singular  man 
had,  in  eighteen  months,  travelled  about  seven  thousand 
miles,  chiefly  on  foot,  to  collect  materials  for  this  v\ oik. 
It  was  a  new  attempt  of  the  kind  in  America,  and  is  as 
correct  as  could  be  expected.  By  this  it  ap^pears,  there 
"^vere,  at  the  date  of  it,  in  the  United  Siates,  and  in  the  Ter- 
ritories, eight  hundred  and  sixty  eight  churches,  eleven 
hundred  and  thirty  two  ministers,  including  those  who 
were  not  ordained,  and  sixty-four  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  seventy-five  members. 

EPOCH    FOURTH. 

Mr.  Asplund  continued  travelling  after  he  published  his 
first  Register,  until  1794,  when  he  published  a  second. 
By  this  it  appears,  that  our  brethren  in  son^e  States  had 
increased  greatly,  in  others  they  remained  pretty  much  as 
they  were  in  1790.  Since  Asplund  published  his  last 
Register,  a  number  of  computations  have  been  made  of 
the  extent  of  the  Baptist  interest  in  America,  but  no  list  of 
the  churches  has  been  attempted,  until  it  was  undertaken 
by  the  author  of  this  work.  It  will  be  inserted  at  the  end 
of  the  second  volume. 

Since  the  close  of  the  war,  not  many  of  our  brethren 
have  been  troubled  on  account  of  their  religious  opinions. 
In  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts,  they  are  in  many  cases 
still  obliged  to  lodge  certificates,  &:c.  and  by  complj  ing 
with  this  small  but  mortifying  requisition,  they  may  remain 
unmolested,  and  be  entirely  excused  from  all  imposts  of  a 
religious  nature. 

Formerly,  the  opposers  of  the  Baptists  reasoned  con- 
tinually against  their  mode  of  baptizing,  but  this  is  now 
so  generally  acknowledged  to  be  scriptural,  that  they  have 
turned  their  \\  hole  force  against  what  they  are  pleased  to 
call  close  conimimiofi. 

It  is  doubted  whether  any  considerable  number  of  the 
Baptists  would  be  admitted  to  the   Pedobaptist  commu- 


Increase  of  the  Baptists.  277 

nion,  if  they  were  disposed  for  it ;  but  they  may  safely  offer 
them  the  privilege,  because  they  know  beforehand  tliat 
they  will  not  accept  it.  But  why  should  we  be  continual- 
ly reproached  for  a  practice,  which  arises  not  from  the  want 
of  affection  towards  christians  of  other  denominations,  but 
from  our  principles  of  the  pre-reqaisites  to  comuunion? 
We  believe  that  none  have  a  right  to  partake  of  the  Lord's 
Supjjer,  until  they  are  baptized  ;  nothing,  in  our  opimon, 
short  of  immersion,  is  bapti'^m;  we  cannot,  therefore,  con- 
sistently commune  with  those  who  have  only  been  sprinkled. 
We  have  a  right  to  believe  the  two  first  prop osi.io.is,  and 
we  must  take  the  liberty  to  practise  upon  the  third,  all  op- 
position notwithstanding.  Ma:iy  Pedobaptists  have  ac- 
knoAvledged,  that  we  cannot  with  coiisisteticy  do  other- 
wise, and  have  therefore  ceased  to  reproach  us. 

Out  of  the  Nexv  Light  Stir  arose  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  churches,  which  adopted  the  plan  of  open  commu- 
nion. The  Groton  conference  in  Connecticut  was  at 
first  founded  altogether  of  churches  of  this  opiiiion.  But 
very  few  of  these  open  communion  churches  remain  ; 
some  were  split  to  pieces  by  the  embarrassing  policy,  and 
others  have  adopted  the  practice  of  coinm lining  with 
baptized  believers  only.  The  zealous  New-Lights  kept 
together,  as  long  as  they  could  ;  but  opposite  i^rinciples 
about  baptism,  necessarily  lead  them  to  divide  into  distinct 
communities.  Most  of  those,  which  did  not  become 
Baptists,  have  fallen  in  with  the  parish  churches,  so  tliat 
"very  few  of  the  ancient  Separate  chuiches  remain. 

Believer's  baptism  by  mimersion  has  prevailed  much  in 
the  United  States,  within  ten  or  twenty  years  past.  M  al- 
titudes of  the  Methodists  have  adopted  it,  and  not  a  few 
of  the  Congregational  ministers  in  New-Englarid  have 
condescended  to  go  into  the  water  with  tho^e  caididates, 
who  could  be  contented  with  notliing  short  of  immersion. 
In  Virginia  and  the  southern  States,  there  has  been  a  great 
schism  in  the  Methodist  church.  A  large  party  has  come 
off,  which  denominate  themselves  Christians.  A  similar 
party  has  separated  from  the  Presbyterians  and  Methodists 
in  Kentucky,  and  the  western  States,  and  a  great  number 
of  these  Christian  people  have  lately  been  buried  in  bap- 
tism* 


278    Henry  AUine  ana  the  Hew  Light  Stir  in  JVova  Scotia. 

On  the  whole  it  appears,  that  baptism  is  fast  returning 
to  its  primitive  mode.  A  general  conviction  seems  to  be 
prevailing,  that  infant  sprinkling  is  an  invention  of  men, 
and  ought  to  be  laid  aside ;  and  that  believers  are  the 
only  subjects  of  the  baptismal  rite,  and  that  immersion  is 
the  only  way  in  which  it  ought  to  be  administered.  Of 
late  years  a  considerable  number  of  ministers  of  the  Pedo- 
baptist  order,  have  come  over  to  the  Baptist  side ;  some 
whole  churclies,  and  many  parts  of  others  have  done  the 
same ;  and  we  look  forward  to  the  time,  when  there  shall 
be  with  the  saints  of  God,  but  one  Lord,  one  faith,  and 
one  baptism. 


CHAP.  VIII. 


NOVA-SCOTIA    AND    NEW-BRUNSWICK. 

THESE  two  British  provinces  occupy  a  large  extent  of 
territory  to  the  east  and  north-east  of  the  District  of  Maine. 
There  are  now,  in  both  of  them,  upwards  of  forty  Baptist 
churches,  most  of  which  have  been  organized  within  the 
course  of  twenty  years  past. 

At  the  close  of  the  French  war,  about  fifty  years  affo, 
many  families  emigrated  from  New-England,  and  settled 
in  different  parts  of  these  two  provinces,  which,  at  that 
time,  were  all  included  under  the  name  of  Nova-Scotia. 
Among  these  emigrants  were  some  Baptists,  and  from  that 
period  there  have  always  been  a  few  of  the  denomination 
in  the  country. 

In  1776,  and  a  few  succeeding  years,  there  was  a  very 
great  attention  to  the  things  of  religion  in  Nova-Scotia  ; 
the  work  was  promoted  chiefly  by  a  zealous  young  preach- 
er,  whose  name  was  Henry  AUine,  whose  history  will  be 
more  fully  related  in  its  proper  place.  This  work,  in 
some  respects,  resembled  the  New- Light  Stir  in  White- 
field's  time.  By  the  labours  of  Henry  AUine  and  his  zeal- 
ous associates,  many  churches  were  formed  of  the  Con- 
gregational order  ;  most  of  them,  however,  ha\e  now  be- 
come extinct,  and  Baptist  churches  have  arisen  in  their 
stead. 


MoDa  Scotia,  and  JVew- Brunswick.  279 

For  most  of  the  historical  facts  respecting  the  Baptist 
interest  in  Nova-Scotia,  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Edward 
Manning,  pastor  of  the  Church  at  Cornvvallis.  Some 
sketches  have,  however,  been  forwarded  by  Messrs.  Bur- 
ton and  Dimock  ;  some  verbal  communications  were 
made  by  Mr.  Ries,  now  on  a  mission  to  New-Orleans, 
and  a  few  facts  have  been  ascertained  from  Backus'  histo- 
ry and  Leland's  M.  S.  S. ;  but  most  of  the  following  state- 
ments are  made  upon  the  authority  of  Mr.  Manning,  who 
has  taken  much  pains  to  furnish  materials  for   this  work. 

According  to  the  best  information,  the  first  Baptist 
church,  which  ever  existed  in  either  of  these  provinces, 
W'as  transported  and  established  in  the  following  manner. 

In  the  year  1763,  immediately  after  the  conclusion  of 
the  French  war,  Nathan  Mason  and  wife,  Thomas  Lewis 
and  w  ife,  Oliver  Mason  and  wife,  and  a  sister  by  the  name 
of  Experience  Baker,  all  of  the  2d  church  in  Swansea, 
Bristol  county,  Mass.  Benjamin  Mason  and  wife,  Charles 
Seamans  and  wife,  and  Gilbert  Seamans  and  wife, 
from  some  of  the  neighbouring  churches,  resolved  on  re- 
moving to  Nova-Scotia.  And  with  a  view  to  their  spirit- 
ual benefit,  these  thirteen  persons  were  formed  into  a 
church,  on  the  21st  of  April,  1763,  and  Nathan  Mason 
was  ordained  their  pastor.  Soon  after,  this  little  church 
sailed  in  a  body  for  Nova-Scotia,  and  settled  at  a  place  now 
called  Sackvilie  in  New-Brunswick.-*  Here  they  continu- 
ed almost  eight  years,  enjoying  many  spiritual  blessings, 
and  witnessing  much  of  the  goodness  of  the  Lord,  in  this 
new  and  remote  situation.  Elder  Mason  laboured  here 
with  good  success,  and  the  little  church  increased  to  about 
60  members,  and  Mr.  Job  Seamans,  formerly  pastor  of 
the  church  in  Attleborough,  Mass.  now  of  that  of  New- 
London,  N.  H.  was  converted  and  began  to  preach  among 
them.     But  the  lands  and  government  not  meeting  their 

*  This  account  is  found  in  Backus'  History,  vol.  iii.  p.  146.  Mr.  B.  says, 
.  this  emigrant  church  settled  at  the  head  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy  ;  but  Mr, 
Manning  assures  me,  that  Mr.  Mason  settled  at  Sackvilie,  which  is  on  the 
Cumberland  Bay.  But  still,  both  of  these  statements  may  be  correct.  Mr. 
Backus  is  general,  Mr.  Manning  pai'ticular.  As  near  as  I  can  undertand  by 
maps,  at  the  head  of  the  great  Bay  of  Fund),  are  two  other  smaller  Bays  ; 
one  is  called  the  Bason  of  Minas,  and  the  other  Cumberland  Bay.  Mr.  Ma- 
son and  his  company,  therefore,  sailed  up  the  Bay  of  Fundy  to  its  head,  and 
then  entered  the  Bay  of  Cumberland,  and  on  its  north  side  made  their  setttc- 
ment.     The  place  was  then  called  Tantarramar. 


280        Horton  Church.... Its  Pastors,  Progress,  £?V. 

approbation,  and  finding  themselves  uncomfortable  in  oth- 
er respects,  in  1771  the  founders  of  the  emigrating  church 
with  Elder  Mason  removed  back  again  to  Massachusetts, 
and  settled  at  a  place  called  New-Providence,  now  in  the 
township  of  Cheshire,  in  Berkshire  county. 

This  account  of  Elder  Mason's  success  in  Nova-Scotia, 
was  furnished  some  years  ago  by  Mr.  John  Leland  of 
Cheshire,  which  I  found  among  Mr.  Backus'  papers. 
What  became  ol  the  converts,  whom  Mr.  Mason  left  be- 
hind, I  do  not  find  ;  but  it  is  probable  that  they  were 
scattered,  and  the  church  broken  up  after  the  founder  had 
left  them.  Some  further  account  of  the  Baptists  in  this 
place  M  ill  be  given  in  its  due  order. 

HoRTON.  Not  long  after  the  settlement  of  the  church 
at  Sackville,  an  Elder  Moultou  from  one  of  the  New-Eng- 
land States,  probably  from  Massachusetts,  began  to  preach 
at  Horton.  His  preaching  was  attended  with  success,  and 
in  a  short  time  a  church  Mas  formed  consisting  of  Baptists 
and  Congregationalists.  What  became  of  Mr.  Moulton  1  do 
not  find  ;  but  the  church  did  not  enjoy  much  prosperity, 
until  it  was  revived  under  the  ministry  of  Henry  AUine. 
This  zealous  minister  was  cordially  received  among  them, 
ard  the  church  adopted  his  maxims  of  discipline.  They 
travelled  but  a  short  time,  however,  in  fellowship  with  his 
New-Light  connexion,  before  they  made  choice  of  a  Mr. 
Picrsons,  a  nati\'e  of  England,  for  their  minister,  w'ho  in- 
duced them  to  give  up  their  mixed  communion  plan,  and 
settled  them  on  consistent  ground.  But  in  a  short  time^ 
by  the  irifluence  of  one  of  their  deacons,  they  broke  down 
all  their  bars,  and  again  admitted  unbaptized  persons  to 
their  communion.  In  this  practice  they  continued  until 
1809,  when  a  reforniation  was  again  effected,  which  is 
likely  to  be  permanent. 

About  the  year  1790,  Elder  Picrsons  removed  to  Hope- 
well, Ncw-Brin:iswick,  where  he  died  shortly  after. 

David  George,  in  speaking  of  Horton  church,  (Rippon's 
Register,  vol.  I.  p.  481)  mentions  that  a  Mr.  Scott  was 
their  miiiister.  He  probably  succeeded  Mr,  Piersons,  and 
continued  with  them  but  a  short  time.  But  1  can  gain  no 
further  account  of  him. 

A  few  years  after  Mr.  Piersons'  removal,  the  church 
made  choice  of  Elder  Theodore  S.  Harding,  for  their  pas- 


Ne%vpon  Church ....Sh ubal  Dlmock.  281 

tor,  in  which  office  he  continues  to  the  present  time.  He 
had  been  a  Methodist  preacher,  but  was  baptized  and  or- 
dained by  Mr.  Burton  ot  Halifax,  soon  after  his  settle^ 
ment  in  that  city. 

Newport. — This  town  received  its  name  from  Newport 
on  Rhode-Island,  from  which  most  of  the  planters  of  it 
emigrated.  While  Mr.  John  Sutton  was  in  Nova- Scotia, 
he  preached  some  time  in  Newport  and  baptized  a  few 
persons ;  but  he  soon  left  the  country,  and  returned  to 
New-Jersey.  Shubal  Dimock  is  said  to  have  been  one  of 
the  principal  promoters  of  religion  in  this  town.  He  was 
a  native  of  Mansfield  in  Connecticut,  and  was  brought  up  a 
Presbyterian.  But  when  he  was  brought  into  the  light  of 
the  gospel,  he  found  himself  under  the  necessity  of  dis- 
senting from  the  parish  worship,  for  which  he  was  oppress- 
ed and  plundered,  and  this  oppression  lead  him  to  seek 
an  asylum  elsewhere.  Accordingly  in  1760,  he  removed 
to  Nova-Scotia,  and  settled  at  Falmouth,  where  he  tarried 
about  a  year.  He  then  removed  to  Newport,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  became  a  Baptist 
about  the  year  1775.  He  was  a  man  of  eminent  piety,  and 
occasionally  preached.  His  eldest  son  Daniel  was  a  Bap- 
tist in  sentiment  before  he  left  Connecticut,  but  was  not 
baptized  till  he  settled  in  Nova- Scotia,  when  that  rite  was 
administered  to  him  by  Mr.  Sutton  about  1763.  This 
man  was  also  a  preacher,  and  preached  until  within  a  it::w 
days  of  his  death.  Joseph  Dimock,  pastor  of  the  church 
in  Chester,  is  his  oldest  son. 

The  two  Dimocks,  Shubal  and  his  son  Daniel,  united 
xvith  the  church  in  Horton,  but  laboured  much  to  promote 
religion  in  their  own  town.  But  it  does  not  appear  that 
any  B  iptist  church  was  formed  here  until  the  year  1800. 
The  father  died  about  ten  years  before  this  period,  and  the 
son  about  four  years  after  it.  Mixed  communion  was  the 
prevailing  custom  among  most  of  the  Nova-Scotia  Bap- 
tists, when  the  church  in  this  town  was  formed,  and  it  fell 
in  with  the  practice,  continued  it  a  short  time,  and  then 
gave  it  up.* 

*  I  have  given  the  history  of  this  church  a  place  here,  for  I  supposed  it 
was  amongst  the  oldest  in  the  country.  Morgan  Edwards,  m  a  Catalogue  of 
American  churches,  which  he  wrote  in  1764,  mentions  on<-  in  this  tdwn.  Mr. 
Edwards  probably  had  his  information  from  Mr.  Sutton,  who  had  preached 
in  the  place.  But  sinoe  writing  the  account,  Mr.  Manning  has  informed  me 
VOL,    I.  36 


.282       Trials  in  the  Neivport  Church.. .. Ilemy  Aliine, 

The  Newport  church  has  waded  through  many  trials, 
from  its  disputes  respecting  the  terms  of  communion,  but 
more  on  account  of  the  ill  conduct  of  its  kite  pastor,  Wil- 
liam Delany,  whose  labours  were,  for  a  while,  attended 
with  much  success,  but  who,  a  short  time  since,  I'ell  into 
the  sin  of  drunkenness,  and  was  excommunicated  from 
ihe  church.  This  shipwreck  of  their  pastor,  by  causing 
divisions,  had  like  to  have  destroyed  their  visibility  as  a 
church  ;  but  they  have  since  recovered,  in  a  good  degree, 
from  this  painful  shock,  and  although  they  ha\e  no  settled 
minister,  bid  fair  to  be  one  of  the  most  flourishing  church- 
es in  the  province. 

CoKNW'ALLis. — This  church  is  situated  in  a  large  town- 
ship of  the  same  name  in  King's  county,  on  the  southern 
shore  of  the  strait,  which  connects  the  Basin  of  Minas 
with  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  The  history  of  this  church  will 
lead  us  back  to  the  year  1776,  when  Henry  Alline  began 
his  New-Light  ministry  in  Nova-Scotia,  and  established  a 
church  here  upon  his  plan,  over  which  he  was  ordained 
pastor  ;  and  under  this  head  it  may  be  proper  to  say  what 
we  propose  to  of  this  extraordinary  man,  and  of  the  mixed 
and  zealous  community,  which  he  w^as  instrumental  in 
raising  up. 

Henry  Alline  was  born  of  respectable  and  pious  parents, 
in  Newport,  R.  I,  June  14,  1748.  In  1760,  the  family 
removed  from  Newport  to  Nova-Scotia,  and  settled  at 
Falmouth.  Henry  Avas  the  only  son,  and  was  early  in- 
structed in  the  principles  of  the  christian  religion,  and 
when  about  8  years  old,  according  to  his  own  account, 
as  stated  in  his  journal,  his  mind  was  seriously  impressed 
with  a  sense  of  divine  things.  From  this  early  period  it 
appears  that  convictions  followed  from  time  to  time,  until 
they  terminated  in  a  sound  conversion  ;  which  happened 
in  March,  1775,  when  he  was  almost  97  years  old.  Soon 
after  his  conversion  his  mind  was  lead  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry.  Having  always  been  taught  to  believe  that 
learning  was  absolutely  necessary  to  qualify  men  for  this 
important  undertaking,  he  rcsohed  on  going  toNevv-Eng» 
land  to  solicit  the  aid  of  his  friends  and  relations  there,  to- 

that  Mr.  Edwards'  Catalogue  must  be  incorrect.  He  is  positive  there  never 
was  a  Bnptist  cliurch  in  this  town  until  1800.  I  have,  therefore,  corrected 
the  statement,  which  I  at  first  made,  but  left  the  article  to  stand  in  its  pres- 
■"■nt  pliice. 


Mr.  Allifie^s  Flcivs  of  }]  apt  ism.  28S 

wards  obtaining  it.  Parsuant  to  this  resolution,  he  took 
leave  of  his  friends,  and  actually  proceeded  some  distance 
on  his  journey.  But  Providence  hedged  up  his  way  by  a 
number  of  insurmountable  obstacles,  and  he  returned. 
This  was  in  the  close  of  the  year  in  which  he  was  convert- 
ed. After  passing  through  many  trials,  occasioned  bv  the 
struggles  of  his  own  mind,  and  the  solicitations  of  his 
friends,  some  urging  him  to  go  in  pursuit  of  learning, 
others  to  engage  in  the  ministry  without  it,  he,  the  next 
spring,  began  to  preach.  His  first  efforts  were  crowned 
with  such  remarkable  success,  tliat  lie  was  encouraged  to 
proceed.  He  soon  began  to  travel  extensively,  revivals  of 
religion  almost  constantly  attended  his  ministry,  and  for 
about  eight  years  he  was  abundantly  owned  of  God,  as 
the  instrument  of  the  conversion  of  souls  ;  he  was  much 
beloved  by  his  friends,  and  was  much  abused  and  perse- 
cuted by  many,  who  unreasonably  became  his  enemies. 
And  notwithstanding  some  errors  in  his  creed,  he  was  a 
bright  and  shining  light  through  the  dark  regions  of  Nova- 
Scotia. 

Mr.  Alline  was  brought  up  a  Congregationalist,  and 
from  that  community  he  never  separated  ;  but  he  out- 
stripped most  of  his  brethren  in  his  ardent  zeal,  and  evan- 
gelical exertions,  which  soon  procured  for  him  the  appeK 
latioi  of  a  New-Light. 

His  notions  of  gospel  discipline  were  confused  and  in- 
definite. The  external  order  of  the  gospel,  and  particu- 
larly baptism  and  the  mode  of  it,  he  professed  to  view  with 
great  indifterence.  He  baptized  but  little  himself,  and 
never  condescended  to  2:0  into  the  water  ;  but  was  willin[r 
his  followers  should  practise  what  mode  they  chose  ;  and 
if  they  could  be  easy  in  their  minds,  under  the  entire 
omission  of  the  ordinance,  he  considered  it  rather  their 
'feliciry  than  neglect ;  but  if  their  minds  dv/eit  much  upon 
baptism,  he  advised  them  to  go  forward  in  what  mode  they 
cho'e,  that  they  might  thereby  quiet  the  troubles  of  their 
minds,  and  so  forget  the  things  which  were  behind,  and  be 
prepared  for  the  calm  and  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  the 
things  of  God. 

Such  instructions  from  a  leader,  we  might  naturally 
suppose  would  lead  to  confusion  among  his  followers. 


284  Mr.  Alline's  Ministry  short, 

Mr.  Alline  also  plunged  into  some  speculations  on  theo- 
logical points,  which  he  could  not  have  fully  understood, 
as  it  would  have  puzzled  a  Jesuit  to  define  them.  But 
with  all  the  exceptions  to  his  maxims  and  doctrine,  he  was 
undoubtedly  a  man  of  God,  and  his  labours  were  crowned 
with  remarkable  success ;  he  was  unquestionably  the  in- 
strument of  the  conversion  of  many  hundreds  of  souls  in 
the  provinces  of  Nova-Scotia  and  New  B.unsuick. 

Having  preached  in  this  country  aboui  eight  years,  viz. 
from  1776  till  1784,  he  travelled  into  the  United  States,  and 
sickened  and  died,  at  the  house  of  Rev.  David  Ivi'dure, 
in  the  town  of  North-Hampton,  State  of  New-Hampshire, 
Feb.  2,  1784,  in  the  36th  year  of  his  age. 

As  he  lived  in  a  country  where  he  had  but  little  oppor- 
tunity of  doctrinal  instruction,  and  was  almost  incessantly 
employed,  during  his  short  ministry,  in  travelling  and 
preaching,  it  is  not  strange  that  his  sentiments  were  hasti- 
ly adopted.  Had  he  lived  to  have  maturely  reviewed  his 
system,  he  would  probably  have  pruned  it  of  many  of  its 
exceptionable  parts. 

His  principal  business  was  to  roam  through  the  forests, 
and  hew  down  the  trees,  spending  but  little  time  in  prepar- 
ing and  arranging  them  ;  and  he  raised  up  many  comnui- 
nities,  which  were  afterwards,  (some  during  his  life,  and 
others  after  his  death)  organized  into  distinct  churches,  of 
the  New-Liglit  or  Congregational  order  ;  the  most  distin- 
guished of  which  were  those  of  Cornvvallis,  Newport, 
Horton,  and  Upper-Granville. 

There  were,  at  this  time,  the  remains  of  a  (qw  Baptist 
churches,  and  besides  them  there  were  many  Baptist 
members,  scattered  in  difterent  parts  of  the  country.  Ma- 
ny, but  not  all  of  them,  fell  in  with  the  New-Light  party. 
But  in  a  short  time,  many  of  the  Nev\  -Light  Pedobaptists 
took  to  the  waters,  but  all  continued  in  communion  to- 
gether. But  Baptist  sentiments  made  rapid  advances  ; 
some  of  the  New-Light  ministers  were  baj:tized,  and  were 
thus  qualified,  witii  more  consistency,  to  baptize  their  con- 
verted brethren.  Some  great  revivals  of  religion  took 
place,  and  the  converts  almost  uniformly  became  Baptists, 
and  followed  their  Redeemer  into  the  watery  tomb.  The 
Baptist  leaven  thus  intermixed,  produced  a  gradual  fer- 
mentation, and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  many  of  the 


Edward  Manning  at  CornwaUls.  285 

New-Light  Congregational  were  in  reality  transformed 
into  New-Light  Baptist  churches.  But  the  Baptists, 
either  without  much  thought  upon  the  subject,  or  from  a 
principle  of  reciprocal  charity,  continued  on  the  mixed 
communion  plan,  long  after  they  had  become  a  large  ma- 
jority in  the  churches. 

But  what  are  called  close  communion  principles  were  at 
length  broached  among  them,  and  caused  no  small  stir  in 
the  churches.  The  Pedobaptist,  and  indeed  a  number 
of  the  Baptist  members,  were  much  opposed  to  the  re- 
strictions which  they  imposed.  But  as  light  and  consist- 
ency prevailed,  prejudice  and  tradition  gave  way,  and  in 
process  of  time,  a  reformation,  as  to  external  order,  was 
eftected  ;  so  that  now,  most  of  the  churches  in  Nova-Sco- 
tia and  New-Brunswick  have  adopted  what  our  enemies 
call  the  monstrous  doctrine  of  close  communion. 

But  to  return  to  Cornwallis  :  After  Henry  Alline's 
death,  a  Congregational  minister  of  the  New- Light  con- 
nexion, by  the  name  of  Payzant,  was  ordained  to  the  pas- 
toral office  here,  in  which  situation  he  continued  a  number 
of  years,  when  he  removed  to  the  town  of  Liverpool,  v/here 
he  now  resides.  Their  next,  w  ho  is  also  their  pi"esent 
pastor,  was  Rev.  Edward  Manning,  who  has  furnished  me 
with  much  information  of  Nova-Scotia,  and  the  follov.ing 
respecting  himself.  He  was  ordained  as  their  pastor,  Oct. 
19,  1795,  being  then  an  unbaptized  New-Light  minister. 
But  his  mind  soon  became  disturbed  about  baptism,  and 
for  three  years  subsequent  to  his  ordination,  was  much  ag- 
itated on  the  subject ;  during  which  time  he  continued  a 
motley  mixture  of  administrations,  sometimes  immersing, 
and  at  other  times  sprinkling  both  adults  and  infants,  con- 
stantly endeavouring  to  prove  from  the  scriptures  the 
eligibility  of  his  subjects  for  the  ordinance,  and  the  validity 
of  his  different  administrations.  But  at  length  his  mind 
was  brought  to  a  stand  ;  the  only  gospel  baptism  was 
clearly  exhibited  to  his  view,  and  he  was  made  wiUing  to 
obey.  He  accordingly  went  to  Annapolis,  and  was  bap- 
tized by  the  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Chipman,  the  former  pastor 
of  the  church  in  that  place.  This  measure,  as  nui^ht  be 
expected,  produced  some  agitation  in  the  church,  but  it 
was  finally  agreed,  that  he  should  continue  their  pastor, 
*vithout  being  obliged  to  sprinkle  any  more,  either  infants 


286  Chester  Chitrc/i. 

or  adults ;  but  open  communion  botli  pastor  and  people 
conscientiously  maintained.  About  this  time,  a  very 
refreshing  season  was  granted  to  the  church,  and  many 
believers  were  added  by  being  baptized  in  the  gospel 
mode.  The  church,  however,  was  far  from  being  harmo- 
nious for  many  years,  but  was  in  an  agitated  and 
divided  state.  Mr.  Manning  was  obliged,  after  a  few 
years,  to  relinquish  open  communion,  and  in  1807,  soon 
after  the  church  was  reformed  to  its  present  unmixed 
and  consistent  plan,  he  was  lead  to  call  in  question  the 
validity  of  his  former  ordination.  This  brought  on  him  a 
new  and  peculiar  trial,  for  his  brethren  were  not  unani- 
mous in  their  opinions  about  the  matter.  In  the  midst 
of  their  inquiries,  Elders  Isaac  Case  and  Henry  Hale, 
two  missionaries  from  the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Society  came  among  them  ;  by  their  advice  and  as- 
sistance a  unanimity  was  obtained,  and  his  re-ordination 
was  effected.  Since  that  time  they  have  moved  on  in 
order  and  harmony. 

Chester. — This  church  was  formed  in  1788,  upon 
the  open  communion  plan,  most  of  the  members  at  that 
time  being  Congregationalists.  One  article  in  their  Con- 
fession was  :  "  We  believe  baptism  to  be  a  divine  institu- 
tion, yet,  as  there  are  different  opinions  as  to  the  subjects 
and  outward  administration  of  the  ordinance,  we  give  free 
liberty  to  every  member  to  practise  according  to  the  dic- 
tates of  their  consciences,  as  they  profess  to  be  directed 
hy  the  word  of  God." 

Different  ministers  laboured  among  them  with  success. 
Hev.  John  Secomb,  a  very  godly  minister  of  the  Congre- 
gational order,  became  their  pastor,  and  continued  in  that 
oflfice  till  his  death.  Rev.  Joseph  Dimock,  who  was  then 
a  Baptist  minister,  and  who  is  now  their  pastor,  made  them 
a  number  of  visits  during  Mr.  Secomb's  life,  and  soon  af- 
ter his  death,  viz.  in  1793,  he  accepted  a  call  and  settled 
among  them.  Under  his  ministry  they  have  been  a  pros- 
perous and  generally  a  happy  people.  They  had,  howev- 
er, for  a  while,  some  severe  trials,  occasioned  by  their  dis- 
putes about  the  terms  of  communion.  In  1809,  a  partial 
reformation  was  effected,  so  that  no  more  were  to  be  re- 
ceived into  the  church,  unless  they  were  baptized.  But 
5till  a  few  good  people,   who  had  not  been  baptized,  were 


Bhelbuvne  Ghiirch. . . .  David  George j  a  black  man.     28 7 

admitted  to  their  communion.  Thus  matters  continued 
until  1811,  when  the  reformation  was  completed,  and  the 
church  was  received  into  the  association. 

The  limits  prescribed  for  this  work  will  not  permit  us 
to  give  a  full  account  of  the  remaining  churches,  which 
once  stood  in  the  New  Light  connexion.  But  it  is  suf- 
ficient to  say,  that  they  have  passed  through  struggles 
and  changes,  in  many  respects,  similar  to  those  already 
mentioned. 

Shelburne. — This  church  was  formed  mostly  of  black 
people,  under  the  ministry  cf  a  black  man,  whose  name 
was  David  George.  At  the  close  of  the  American  war, 
Mr.  George  with  many  other  people  of  colour,  and  a  large 
number  of  whites,  fled  from  the  southern  States,  and  set- 
tled at  Shelburne.  An  account  of  the  settlement  of  the 
church,  its  progress  and  breaking  up,  and  the  trials 
of  Mr.  George,  are  related  in  Rippon's  Register,  vol. 
I.  p.  473 — 483.  The  first  part  of  the  narradve  I  shall 
abridge,  the  latter  part  I  shall  give  entire. 

David  George  was  born  a  slave  in  Essex  county,  Vir- 
ginia, about  1742.  His  master  was  very  severe  w  ith  his 
negroes,  which  induced  him  to  run  away,  when  he  had 
grown  to  manhood.  He  went  first  to  Pedee  river  in 
South  Carolina,  where  he  tarried  but  a  few  weeks,  before 
he  found  he  was  pursued.  He  next  went  towards  the 
Savanna  river,  and  let  himself  to  a  Mr.  Green,  with  whom 
he  laboured  about  two  years,  when  he  was  again  heard  of, 
and  to  escape  his  pursuers,  he  fled  among  the  Creek  In- 
dians, and  became  the  servant  of  their  king,  who  was  call- 
ed Blue  Salt.  He  was  now  about  800  miles  from  his 
master ;  it  was,  however,  but  a  few  months,  before  his 
master's  son,  who  pursued  him  with  unremitting  diligence, 
came  where  he  was,  and  took  him  ;  ;but  before  he  could 
get  him  out  of  the  Creek  nation,  he  escaped  from  him,  and 
iied  to  the  Nantchee  or  Natchez  Indians,  and  got  to  live 
with  their  king  Jack.  As  there  was  much  trading  be- 
tween the  Indians  and  white  people,  he  was  soon  heard  of 
here,  and  v^as  purchased  by  a  Mr.  Gaiilfin,  who  lived  on 
Savannah  river,  at  Silver  Bluff.  Mr.  Gaulfin  had  an 
agent  among  the  Indians,  v.hose  name  v/as  John  Miller, 
and  into  his  custody,  the  poor  hunted  refugee  was  defr. 
ered.     After  serving;  him  a  few  years,  he  bv  liis  o^An  ii 


288        3fr,  George  is  awakened  to  religious  Concern.- 

quest,  went  to  live  with  his  master  Gaulfin  at  Silver 
BliifF.  It  does  not  appear  tliat  he  experienced  any  unkind 
usage  from  any  of  these  masters,  whether  Indians  or 
white  people.  And  although  he  appeared  peculiarly  un- 
fortunate, in  being  so  often  detected,  yet  he  scon  saw  that 
a  kind  Providence  directed  his  path,  and  brought  him  in 
due  time,  to  receive  that  mercy  which  was  laid  up  in  store 
for  him.  He  was,  all  this  time,  a  thoughtless  and 
wicked  man.  After  living  at  Silver  Bluff  about  four 
years,  his  mind  was  awakened  to  religious  concern  by  the 
conversation  of  a  man  of  his  own  colour,  whose  name  was 
Cyrus.  His  convictions  were  deep  and  distressing,  but 
his  deliverance  was  clear  and  joyful.  Soon  after  his 
conversion,  he  began  to  pray  and  exhort  among  the 
black  people.  He  received  instruction  and  encourage- 
ment  from   two   preachers   of  his   own   colour,  George 

Liele,  who  afterwards  went  to  Jamaica,  and  " Palmer, 

who  was  the  pastor  of  a  church  of  black  people,  at  some 
distance  from  Silver  Bluff,"  probably  at  Augusta.  He 
was  now  entirely  illiterate,  but  he  soon  set  about  learning  ; 
he  got  a  spelling  book,  and  by  his  own  unwearied  exer- 
tions, and  the  instruction  of  the  little  white  children,  he 
soon  learnt  so  much,  that  he  could  read  in  the  Bible. 
This  was  before  the  American  war,  during  the  whole  of 
which  he  continued  to  preach  in  different  places,  under 
many  embarrassments,  but  with  a  good  degree  of  success. 

The  remaining  part  of  the  history  of  this  worthy  man, 
I  shall  give  in  his  own  words  as  related  to  Dr.  Rippon  of 
London,  and  the  late  Samuel  Pearce  of  Birmingham. 

"  When  the  English  were  going  to  evacuate  Charles- 
ton, they  advised  me  to  go  to  Halifax,  in  Nova-Scotia, 
and  gave  the  few  black  people,  and  it  may  be  as  many  as 
500  white  people,  their  passage  for  nothing.  We  were 
22  days  on  the  passage,  and  used  very  ill  on  board. 
When  we  came  off  Halifax,  I  got  leave  to  go  ashore.  On 
shewing  my  papers  to  General  Patterson,  he  sent  orders 
by  a  Serjeant  for  my  wife  and  children  to  follow  me. 
This  was  before  Christmas,  and  we  staid  there  till  June  ; 
but  as  no  way  was  open  for  me  to  preach  to  my  own  col- 
our, I  got  leave  to  go  to  Shelburne,  (150  miles,  or  more,  I 
suppose,  by  sea,)  in  the  suite  of  General  Patterson,  leaving 
mv  wife  and  children,   for  a  while,  behind.     Numbers  of 


Mr.  George  began  to  preach  at  Shelbunie.        23.^ 

my  own  colour  were  here,  but  I  found  the  white  people 
were  against  me.  I  began  to  sing,  the  fipst  night,  in  the 
woods,  at  a  camp,  for  there  were  no  houses  then  built ; 
they  were  just  clearing  and  preparing  to  erect  a  town. 
The  black  people  came  flir  and  near,  it  was  so  new  to 
them  ;  I  kept  on  so  every  night  in  the  week,  and  appoint- 
ed a  meeting  for  the  first  Lord's  day,  in  a  valley,  between 
two  hills  close  by  the  river,  and  a  great  number  of  white 
and  black  people  came,  and  I  was  so  overjoyed  with  hav- 
ing an  opportunity  once  more  of  preaching  the  word  of 
God,  that  after  1  had  given  out  the  hymn,  I  could  not 
speak  for  tears.  In  the  afternoon  we  met  again,  in  the 
same  place,  and  I  had  great  liberty  from  the  Lord.  We 
had  a  meeting  now  every  evening,  and  those  poor  crea- 
tures who  had  never  heard  the  gospel  before,  listened  to 
me  very  attentively  ;  but  the  white  people,  the  justices, 
and  all,  were  in  an  uproar,  and  said  that  I  might  go  out 
into  the  woods,  for  I  should  not  stay  there.  I  ought  to 
except  one  white  man,  who  knew  me  at  Savannah,  and. 
who  said  I  should  have  his  lot  to  live  upon  as  long  as  I 
would,  and  build  a  house  if  I  pleased.  I  then  cut 
down  poles,  stripped  bark,  and  made  a  smart  hut,  and  the 
people  came  flocking  to  the  preaching  every  evening  for  a 
month,  as  though  they  had  come  for  their  supper.  Then 
Governor  Parr  came  from  Halifax,  brought  my  wife  and 
children,  gave  me  six  months  provisions  for  my  family, 
and  a  quarter  of  an  acre  of  land  to  cultivate  for  our  sub- 
sistence. It  \\as  a  spot  where  there  was  plenty  of  water, 
and  which  I  had  before  secretly  wished  for,  as  I  knew  it 
would  be  convenient  for  baptizing  at  any  time.  The 
weather  being  severe  and  the  ground  covered  w^ith  snow, 
we  raised  a  platform  of  poles  for  the  hearers  to  stand  up- 
on, but  there  was  nothing  over  their  heads.  Continuing 
to  attend,  they  desired  to  have  a  meeting  house  built. 
We  had  then  a  day  of  hearing  what  the  Lord  had  done  ; 
and  I  and  my  wife  heard  their  experiences,  and  I  received 
four  of  my  own  colour  ;  brother  Sampson,  brother  John, 
sister  OfFee,  and  sister  Dinah ;  these  all  were  well  at 
Sierra  Leone,  except  brother  Sampson,  an  excellent  man, 
who  died  on  his  voyage  to  that  place.  The  first  time  I 
baptized  here  was  a  little  before  Christmas,  in  the  creek 
which  ran  through  my  lot.     I  preached  to  a  great  number 

VOL.    T.  37 


290     Mr.  George  encouraged  by  Mr.  Taylor  and  Wife. 

of  people  on  the  occasion,  who  behaved  very  well.     I  now 
forined   the   chiuxh  with    us  six,   and  administered  the 
L(^rd's  supper  in  the  meeting-house,  before  it  was  finish- 
ed.    They  went  on  with  the  building,  artd  we  appointed  a 
time  every   other   week    to   hear   experiences.       A    few 
inonths  after,  I  baptized  nine  more,   and  the  congregation 
very  much  increased.     The  worldly  blacks,  as  well  as  the 
members  of  the  church,  assisted  in  cutting  timber  in  the 
woods,  and  in  getting  shingles  ;    and  we   used  to  give  a 
few  coppers  to  buy  nails.     We  were  increasing  all  the 
winter,  and  baptized  almost  every  month,  and  administer- 
ed the  Lord's  supper  first  of  all  once  in  two  months  ;  but 
the  frame  of  the  meeting-house  was  not  all  up,   nor  had 
we  covered  it  with  shingles,  till  about  the  middle  of  sum- 
mer, and  then  it  had  no  pulpit,  seats,  nor  flooring.     About 
this  time,  Mr.  William  Taylor  and  his  wife,  two  Baptists, 
who  came  from  London  to  Shelburne,  heard  of  me.    Mrs. 
Taylor  came  to  my  house,  when  I  was  so  poor  that  I  had 
no  money  to  buy  any  potatoes  for  seed,   and  was  so  good 
as  to  give  my  children  somewhat,  and  me  money  enough 
to  buy  a  bushel  of  potatoes,   which  one  produced  thirty- 
five  bushels,      The  church  was  now  grown  to  about  fifty 
members.     At  this  time,  a  white  person,  William  Holmes, 
who,  with  Deborah  his  \A'ife,  had  been  converted  by  read- 
ing the   Scriptures,  and  lived  at  Jones's  harbour,   about 
twenty  miles  down  the  river,  came  up  for  me,  and  would 
have  me  go  with  him  in  his  schooner  to  his  house.     I  went 
v  ith  him  first  to  his  own  house,   and   then  to  a  town  they 
called  Liverpool,  inhabited  by  white  people.     Many  had 
been   baptized  there  by  Mr.  Chipman,   of  Annapolis,  in 
Nova- Scotia.      Mr.  Jesse  Dexter  preached  to  them,   but 
vt^as  not  their  pastor.      It  is  a  mixed  communion  church. 
I  preached  there  ;  the  christians  were  all  alive,  and  we  had 
a  little  heaven  together.      We  then  returned  to  brother 
Holmes' ;  and  he  and  l»is  wife  came  up  with  me  to  Shel- 
burne, and  gave  their  experiences  to  the  church  on  Thurs- 
day,  and  were  baptized  on  Lord's  day.      Their  relations, 
who  lived    in  the  town,  were  very  angry,  raised  a  mob, 
and  endeavoured  to  hinder  their  being  baptized.     Mrs. 
Holmes'  sister  especially  laid  hold  of  her  hair  to  keep  her 
from  going  down  into  the  water  ;    but  the  justices  com- 
manded peace,  and  said  that  she  should  be  baptized,  as 


He  is  persecuted.  29  !■ 

she  lierself  desired  it.      Then  they  were  all  quiet.      Soon 
after  this  the  persecution  increased,  and  became  so  great 
that  it  did  not  seem  possible   to  preach,  and  I  thought  I 
must  leave  Shelburne.      Several  of  the  black  people  had 
houses  on  my  lot  ;    but   forty   or  fifty  disbanded  soldiers 
were  employed,  who  came  with  the  tackle  of  ships,  and 
turned  my  dwelling  house  and  every  one  of  their  houses 
quite  over  ;  and  the  meeting-house  they  would  have  burn- 
ed down,  had  not  the  ring-leader  of  the  mob  himself  pre- 
vented it.     But  I  continued  preaching  in  it,  till  they  came 
one  night  and  stood  before  the  pulpit,  and  swore  how  they 
would  treat  me  if  1  ■  preached   again.     But  1  stayed  and 
preached,   and  the  next  day  they  came  and  beat  me  with 
sticks,  and  drove  me  into  a  swamp.     I  returned  in  the 
evening,  and  took  my  wife  and   children  over  the  river  to 
Birchtown,   where   some    black    people  ^^ere  settled,  and 
there  seemed  a   greater  prospect   of  doing  good  than  at 
Shelburne.      I    preached   at    Birchtown  from  the  fall   till, 
about  the  middle  of  December,   and  was  frequendy  hear- 
ing experiences,  and  baptized  about  twenty  there.     Those 
who  desired  to  hear  the  word  of  God,   invited  me  from 
house   to    house,    and   so   I   i)reached.       A  little  before 
Christmas,   as  my  own  colour  persecuted  me  there,   I  set 
off  with  my  family  to  return  to   Shelburne  ;  and  coming 
down  the  river  the  boat  was  frozen,   but  we   took  whip- 
saws,    and  cut   away  the   ice   till  we  came  to  Shelburne. 
In  my  absence,  the  meeting-house  was  occupied  by  a  sort 
of  tavern-keeper,   who  said,   "The  old   negro  wanted  to 
make  a  heaven  of  this  place,   but  I'll  make  a  hell  of  it." 
Then  I   preached  in   it  as   before,   and  as  my  house  was 
pulled  down,  lived  in  it  also.     The  people  began  to  attend 
again,     and    in  the  summer   there     vwas   a   considerable 
revival  of  religion.     Now  I  went  down  about  twenty  miles 
to  a  place,  called  Ragged  Island,  among  some  white  peo- 
ple, who  desired  to  hear  the  word.     One  white  sister  was 
converted  there  while    I  was  preaching   concerning  the 
disciples,  who  left  all  and  followed  Christ.     She  came  up 
afterwards,   gave  her  experience  to  om'  church,  and  was 
baptized,  and  two  black  sisters  with  her.     Then  her  oth« 
er  sister  gave  in  her   experience,    and  joined  us  without 
baptism,  to  which  she  would  have  submitted,  had  not  her 
family  cruelly  hindered  her  ;    but  she  was  the  only  one  in 
our  society,  who  was  not  baptized. 


292  Mr.  George  successjtil  at  St.  'Johns, 

B}^  this  time,  the  Christians  at  St.  John's,  about  200 
miles  from  Shelbiirne,  over  the  bay  of  Fundv,  in  New- 
Brunswick,  had  heard  of  me  and  wished  me  to  visit  them. 
Part  of  the  first  Saturday  I  was  there,  was  spent  in  hear- 
ing the  experiences  of  the  black  people  ;  four  were  ap- 
proved, some  of  whom  had  been  converted  in  Virginia  ; 
a  fortnight  after,  I  baptized  them  in  the  river,  on  the 
Lord's  day.  Numerous  spectators,  white  and  black,  were 
present,  who  behaved  very  well.  But  on  Monday,  many 
of  the  inhabitants  made  a  disturbance,  declaring  that  no 
body  should  preach  there  again,  without  a  license  from, 
the  Governor.  He  lived  at  Frederick-town,  about  an 
hundred  miles  from  thence  up  St.  John's  river.  I  went 
off  in  the  packet  to  him.  Colonel  Allen,  wbo  knew  me 
in  Charleston,  lived  but  a  few,  miles  from  the  Governor, 
and  introduced  me  to  him  ;  upon  which  his  Secretary- 
gave  me  a  license.*  I  returned  then  to  St.  John's,  and 
.preached  again,  and  left  brother  Peter  Richards  to  exhort 
among  them.  He  afterwards  died  on  the  passage,  just 
going  into  Sierra  Leone,  and  we  buried  him  tliere.  When 
I  got  back  to  Shelburne,  I  sent  brother  Sampson  Colbart, 
one  of  my  elders,  to  St.  John's,  to  stay  there.  He  was  a 
loving  brother,  and  the  Lord  had  endowed  him  with  great 
gifts.  When  the  experiences  of  nine  or  ten  had  been  re- 
lated there,  they  sent  for  me  to  come  and  baptize  them. 
I  went  by  water  to  Halifax,  and  walked  from  thence  to 
Horton,  about  80  miles  from  Annapolis,  and  not  far  from 
New-Brunswick.  There  is  a  large  church  at  Horton,  1  think 
the  largest  in  Nova- Scotia.  They  are  all  Baptists  ;  Mr. 
Scott  is  their  minister.  We  spent  one  Sabbath  together, 
and  all  day  long  was  a  day  to  be  remembered.  When  I 
was  landing  at  St.  John's,  some  of  the  people,  vho  intend- 
ed to  be  baptized,  were  so  full  of  joy,  that  they  ran  out 
from  waiting  at  table  on  their  masters,  with  the  knives  and 
forks  in  their  hands,  to  meet  me  at  the  water  side.  This 
second  time  of  my  being  at  St.  John's,  I  staid  preaching 
about  a  fortnight,  and  baptized  ten  people.     Our  going 

*  Secretary's  Office.  Frederick-town,  7 
irth  Jiih,  \792.  3 

I  do  hereby  certify,  that  David  George,  a  free  ncp^ro  man,  has  permission 
from  his  Excellency  the  Lieutenant-Governor,  to  instruct  the  black  people 
in  the  kno\vledG:e,  and  exhort  them  to  the  praciicof  the  Christian  rcligioti. 

Jon.  Odell,  Secretary^ 


George  and  many  of  his  People  go  to  Sierra  Leone.     293 

down  into  the  water,  seemed  to  be  a  pleasing  sight  to  the 
whole  town,  white  people  and  black.  J  had  now  to  ^,o  to 
Frederick -town  again,  from  whence  I  obtained  the  license 
before  ;  for  one  of  our  brethren  had  been  there,  and  heard 
the  experiences  of  three  of  the  people,  and  they  betit  to  me, 
entreating  that  I  would  not  return  until  I  had  been  and 
baptized  them.  Tu  o  brethren  took  me  to  Frederick-town 
in  a  boat.  1  baptized  on  the  Lord's  day,  about  12 
o'clock  ;  a  great  number  of  people  attended.  The  Govern- 
or said  he  was  sorry  that  he  could  not  come  down  to  ^ee 
it ;  but  he  had  a  great  deal  of  conjpany  that  day,  which 
also  hindered  one  of  his  servants  from  being  baptized.  I 
came  back  to  St.  John's,  and  home  to  Shelburne.  Then 
I  was  sent  for  to  Preston,  it  may  be  four  miles  from  Hali- 
fax, over  against  it,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  Five 
converted  persons,  \\ho  lived  there,  desired  to  be  baptized 
and  join  the  church.  I  baptized  them,  and  administered 
the  Lord's  supper  to  them  at  Preston,  and  left  brother 
Hector  Peters,  one  of  my  elders,  with  them.  In  return- 
ing to  Shelburne,  with  about  30  passengers,  we  were 
blown  off  into  the  sea,  and  lost  our  course.  I  had  no 
blanket  to  cover  me,  and  got  frost  bitten  in  both  my  legs 
up  to  my  knees,  and  was  so  ill  when  I  came  towards  land, 
that  I  could  not  walk.  The  church  met  me  at  the  river 
side,  and  carried  me  home.  Afterwards,  when  J  could 
walk  a  little,  I  wanted  to  speak  of  the  Lord's  good  leus, 
and  the  brethren  made  a  wooden  sledge,  and  drea-  me  to 
meeting.  In  the  spring  of  the  year,  I  could  walk  again, 
but  have  never  been  strong  since. 

The  next  fall.  Agent  (afterwards  Governor)  Clarkson 
came  to  Halifax,  about  setding  a  new  colony  at  Sierra 
Leone.  The  white  people  in  Nova- Scotia  were  very  un- 
willing that  we  should  go,  though  they  had  been  very  cru- 
el to  us,  and  treated  many  of  us  as  bad  as  though  we  had 
been  slaves.  They  attempted  to  persuade  us,  that  if  we 
went  away,  we  should  be  made  slaves  again.  The  breth- 
ren and  sisters  all  round,  at  St.  John's,  Halifax,  and  other 
places,  Mr.  Wesley's  people,  and  all  consulted  what  was 
best  to  do,  and  sent  in  their  names  to  me,  to  give  to  Mr. 
Clarkson,  and  I  was  to  tell  him  that  they  were  willing  to 
go.  I  carried  him  their  names,  and  he  appointed  to  meet 
us  at  Birchtown  the  next  day.      We  gathered  together 


294  Mr.  George  arrhes  at  Sierra  Leone. 

there,  in  the  meeting-house  of  brother  Moses,  a  blind  man, 
one  of  Mr.  Wesley's  preachers.  Then,  the  Governor 
read  the  proclamation,  which  contained  what  was  offered,  in 
case  we  had  a  mind  willingly  to  go,  and  the  greatest  part  of  us 
were  pleased  and  agreed  to  go.  We  appointed  a  day 
over  at  Shelburne,  when  the  names  were  to  be  given  to 
the  Governor.  Almost  all  the  Baptists  went,  except  a 
few  of  the  sisters  whose  husbands  were  inclined  to  go 
back  to  New- York  ;  and  sister  Lizze,  a  Quebec  Indian, 
and  brother  Lewis,  her  husband,  who  was  an  half  Indian, 
both  of  whom  were  converted  under  my  ministry,  and 
had  been  baptized  by  me.  There  are  a  fevv'  scattered 
Baptists  yet  at  Shelburne,  St.  John's,  Jones'Harbour,  and 
Ragged  Island,  besides  the  congregations  at  the  other 
places  I  mentioned  before.  Tlie  meeting-house  lot,  and  all 
our  land  at  Shelburne,  it  may  be  half  aii  acre,  was  sold  to 
merchant  Black,  for  about  £1. 

We  departed  and  called  at  Liverpool,  a  place  I  men- 
tioned before.  I  preached  a  farewell  sermon  there  ;  I 
longed  to  do  it.  Before  I  left  the  town.  Major  Collins, 
who,  with  his  wife,  used  to  hear  me  at  this  place,  was  very 
kind  to  me,  and  gave  me  some  salted  herrings,  which 
were  very  acceptable  all  the  way  to  Sierra  Leone.  We 
sailed  from  Liverpool  to  Halifax,  where  we  tarried  three 
or  four  \Aeeks,  and  I  preached  from  house  to  house,  and 
my  farewell  sermon  in  Mr.  Marchington's  Methodist 
meeting-house. 

Our  passage  from  Halifax  to  Sierra  Leone  was  seven 
weeks,  in  which  we  had  very  stormy  weather.  Several 
persons  died  on  the  voyage,  of  a  catching  fever,  among 
whom  were  three  of  my  Elders,  Sampson  CoKvell,  a  lov- 
ing man,  Peter  Richards,  and  John  Williams. 

There  was  great  joy  to  see  the  land.  The  high  moun- 
tain at  some  distance  from  Freetown,  where  we  now  live, 
appeared  like  a  cloud  to  us.  I  preached  the  first  Lord's 
day,  it  was  a  blessed  time,  under  a  sail,  and  so  I  did  for 
several  weeks  after.  We  tl:veh  erected  a  hovel  for  a  meet- 
ing-house, w  hich  is  made  of  posts  put  into  the  ground, 
and  poles  over  our  heads,  w  hich  are  covered  with  grass. 
While  I  was  preaching  under  the  sails  sisters  Patty  Webb 
and  Lucy  Lawrence  were  converted,  and  they,  with  old 
sister  Peggy,  brother  Bill  Taylor,  and  brother  Sampson 


Mr.  George  goes  to  London — Concluding  Account.      295 

Haywood,  three,   who  were  awakened  before  they  came 
this  voyage,  have  since  been  baptized  iii  the  river. 

On  the  voyage  from  Halifax  to  Sierra  Leone,  I  asked 
the  Governor  if  I  might  not  hereafter  go  to  England  ? 
and  sometime  after  we  arrived  there,  I  told  him  I  wished 
to  see  the  Baptist  brethren  who  live  in  his  comitry.  He 
was  a  very  kind  man  to  me  and  to  every  body  ;  he  is  very 
free  and  good  natured,  and  used  to  come  and  hear  me 
preach,  and  would  sometimes  sit  down  at  our  private  meet- 
ings ;  and  he  liked  that  I  should  call  my  last  child  by  his 
name.  And  I  sent  to  Mr.  Henry  Thornton,  O  what  a 
blessed  man  is  that  !  he  is  brother,  father,  every  thing  ! 
he  ordered  me  five  guineas,  and  I  had  leave  to  come  over. 
When  I  came  away  from  Sierra  Leone,  I  preached  a  fare- 
wel  sermon  to  the  church,  and  encouraged  them  to  look 
to  the  Lord,  and  submit  to  one  another,  and  regard  what 
is  said  to  them  by  my  three  Elders,  brethren  Hector  Peters, 
and  John  Colbert,  who  are  two  exhorters,  and  brother 
John  Ramsey." 

Mr.  George  was  on  a  visit  to  London  when  he  gave  this 
account  oi  himself ;  he  returned  to  Sierra  Leone,  not  far 
from  the  time  that  ^Messrs.  Radway  and  Grigg  went  as 
missionaries  into  that  country.  Whether  he  is  yet  alive, 
and  what  progress  the  Baptist  cause  has  had  at  Sierra 
Leone,  since  about  1792,  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn. 
If  David  George  be  yet  living,  he  must  be  upwards  of  70 
years  old. 

The  church  at  Shelburne  was  broken  up  when  Mr. 
George  and  his  followers  left  the  place.  There  were, 
hD\Aever,  a  few  scattered  Baptist  members  left,  who  were 
formed  into  a  church  a  few  years  after,  by  Mr.  Burton  of 
Halifax.  William  Taylor  and  his  wife,  who  are  respect- 
fully mentioned  ia  David  George's  narrative,  came  from 
Dr.  Rippon's  church  in  London,  and  were,  for  many  years, 
the  principal  members  in  the  church  at  Shelburne.  Mr. 
Taylor  was  a  wealthy  and  liberal  man.  By  his  generosity, 
and,  it  is  said,  by  some  considerable  assistance  from  the 
church,  from  which  he  emigrated,  this  small  people  built 
a  very  commodious  meeting-house,  which  is  now  in  a 
great  measure  unoccupied.  Mr.  Taylor  died  a  few  years 
since.  During  his  life  he  was  the  deacon  of  the  church, 
and  had  the  care  of  the  meeting-house.     His  widow  is 


296        Halifax  Church  founded  by  Mr,  Burton, 

5'et  alive.     There  is  yet  a  small  church  in  Shelburne,  but 
without  a  pastor. 

Halifax. — This  church  was  founded  by  Rev.  John 
Bunon,  its  present  pastor,  in  the  following'  manner.  Mr. 
Burton  is  a  native  of  Eiigland,  was  initiated  into  the  Epis- 
copal church  in  infancy,  and  never  entirely  left  that  estab- 
lishment, until  he  became  a  Baptist.  He  was,  however, 
licensed  in  England,  as  a  dissenting  minister.  He  arriv- 
ed at  Halifox,  May  20,  1792,  but  he  had  no  design  of 
tarrying  there,  for  he  left  England  with  an  intention  of 
settling  in  the  United  States.  At  this  time,  there  was  a 
Mr.  Marchington  in  Halifax,  who  had  built  a  meeting 
house  for  the  Methodists,  to  which  denomination  he  belong- 
ed ;  but  on  account  of  a  disagreement  between  him  and 
the  society,  his  meeting  house  was  unoccupied  when  Mr. 
Burton  arrived.  Into  this  house  he  was  invited,  where  he 
preached  for  more  than  a  year  after  his  arrival  in  Halifax. 
In  the  fall  of  1793,  Mr.  Burton  travelled  into  the  United 
States,  and  at  the  town  of  Knowlton,  in  New-Jersey,  he 
was  baptized  in  December  of  this  year,  and  the  next  month 
was  ordained  at  the  same  place.  In  June,  1794,  he  return- 
ed to  Halifax  a  Baptist  minister,  to  the  astonishment  of  all 
his  friends.  He  was  now  entirely  alone,  there  not  being 
an  individual  Baptist  in  the  town  beside  himself.  He  con- 
tinued preaching  in  Mr.  Marchington's  meeting  house, 
until  the  next  year  ;  and  by  this  gentleman  he  w^as  much 
befriended,  until  after  he  had  become  a  Baptist.  But 
now  being  left  without  patronage,  his  prospects  were  truly 
gloomy  and  discouraging,  being  low  in  his  temporal  cir- 
cumstances, and  almost  destitute  of  the  society  of  his  breth- 
ren, as  the  province  was  then  much  overrun  with  error  and 
enthusiasm,  and  the  few  Baptists  who  were  scattered  in 
it,  were  so  much  intermixed  with  the  Pedobaptist  New- 
Lights,  that  he  could  have  but  little  fellowship  or  commu- 
nion with  them.  But  his  prospects  soon  became  more  en- 
couraging ;  liberal  helpers  uere  raised  up  for  the  supply 
of  himself  and  family  ;  in  a  short  time  a  number  were 
baptized,  and  in  1795  a  small  chuich  was  constituted, 
which  has  never  been  large,  but  is  respectable  and  well 
established.  A  respectable  congregation  has  been  collect- 
ed, from  which  Mr.  Burton  receives  a  comfortable  support. 
They  have  purchased  a  lot  5b\  by  36 1,  on  which  they  have 


Account  of  the  remaining  Churches  at  No'oa-Scotia.     297 

erected  a  commodious  house  of  worship,  and  also  a  dwell- 
ing  house  {or  the  accommodation  of  their  pastor.  Both 
of  the  buildings  are  of  brick,  and  they,  with  the  lot,  cost 
about  yoo/.  in  the  currency  of  the  province,  which  is 
about  3600  dollars.  The  meeting  house  is  36i  feet  by 
25 1,  with  galleries  ;  towards  the  defraying  the  expenses 
of  this  estate,  Mr.  Burton  collected  considerable  sums  in 
different  parts  of  the  United  States.* 

Besides  the  churches,  whose  history  has  been  given, 
there  are  the  following  in  this  province,  which  have  estab- 
lished unmixed  communion  :  viz.  Sissiboo,  in  the 
township  of  Digby,  Upper  Granville,  Lower  Granville, 
Ragged  Island,  Clements,  Onslow,  Amherst,  Lunenburgh, 
Digby-Neck,  Nictau,  and  Wilmot,  and  a  small  church  on 
Jordan  and  Pleasant  rivers,  in  a  n^w  settlement  between 
Nictau  and  Liverpool.  On  the  Isle  of  St.  John's,  in  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrciice,  and  which  island  is  attached  to  the 
province  of  Nova-Scotia,  there  is  a  small  church  under  the 
care  of  Elder  Isaac  Bradshaw.  Some  of  these  churches 
were  nearly  as  old,  in  their  beginning,  as  those  whose  his- 
tory has  been  given  at  large,  and  were  formerly  mixed  in 
their  communion  ;  others  are  of  later  date,  and  were  es- 
tablished, at  first,  on  their  present  foundation. 

There  are  also  four  churches  in  this  province,  which 
still  admit  unbaptized  members  to  their  communion  ;  viz. 
Yarmouth,  Argyle,  Barrington,  and  Cockweet.  There 
are  also  about  20  Baptist  members  in  the  town  of  Liver- 
pool, some  of  whom  are  in  the  communion  of  a  Congre- 
gational church,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  a  Mr.  Payzant. 
Yarmouth  church  is  said  to  consist  of  almost  300  mem- 
bers :  Rev.  Harris  Harding  is  their  pastor.  It  was  first 
planted  by  Henry  Alline.  For  many  years  it  consisted  of 
Pedobaptists  and  Baptists  indiscriminately.  In  1807, 
they  effected  a  partial  reformation,  so  that  none  but  Bap- 
tists are  permitted  to  sign  their  articles,  and  enjoy  the 
privileges  of  complete  membership,  but  about  20  or  30 
Pedobaptists  are  admitted  to  their  communion  ;  this  they 
call  not  open,  but  occasional  communion. 

Argyle. — In  this  place,  there  was  also  a  church  estab- 
lished by  that   successful  planter  of    churches,     Henry 

*  The  substance  of  this  account  was  communicated  by  Mr.  Burton. 
VOL.    I.  38 


298        Neiv-Brunswkk  Promnce...sSach'Qille  Church. 

AUine  ;  but  it  had  become  broken  or  dissolved,  before  the 
present  one  was  erected.  About  1806,  there  was  a  verv 
pleasing  and  extensive  revival  in  this  place,  and  the  pres- 
ent church  was  gathered  under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Enoch 
Tower,  their  present  minister  ;  their  number  is  about  70. 
One  Pcdobaptist,  who  is  a  very  old  and  pious  person,  is  ad--, 
mitted  to  their  communion.  The  chinch  generally  are 
convinced  of  the  propriety  of  unmixed  communion,  but  the 
old  disciple  is  not  inclined  to  go  into  the  water,  ai.d  they  are 
waiting,  (with  patience,  it  is  hoped)  until  some  cscortina; 
angel  shall  bear  him  beyond  the  bars  of  communion  tables, 
and  thus  complete  the  reformation  which  they  have  brought 
to  such  a  hopeful  period. 

All  the  churches  in  Nova-Scotia  are  to  the  westward 
and  northv/ard  of  Halifax,  along  the  Atlantic  shore  on  the 
Bay  of  Fundy,  the  Basin  of  Minas,  and  on  the  creeks  and 
rivers,  which  empty  into  these  respective  waters — the 
church  of  Amherst  only  excepted,  which  is  on  the  Cum- 
berland Bay. 


NEW-BRUNSWICK. 

This  province  was  formed  by  a  division  of  that  of 
Nova- Scotia  in  1784,  and  is  situated  between  it  and  the 
District  of  Maine.  New-Brunswick  contains  a  greater 
number  of  churches  than  Nova-Scotia,  but  they  are  of 
much  later  date,  having  been  mostly  formed  within  the 
present  century,  and  furnish  fewer  materials  for  a  histori- 
cal narrative. 

Sackville. — This  church  claims  our  first  attention. 
This  place  was  formerly  called  Tantarramar,  which  name 
it  is  said  to  have  received  from  the  French.  It  has  been  the 
resort  of  Baptists  for  about  fifty  years.  We  have  already 
seen  that  Elder  Mason  and  his  company  from  Swansea 
settled  ill  this  place,  in  1763,  where  they  continued  about 
eight  years,  and  then  returned  again  to  the  United  States. 
Two  Baptist  ministers,  whose  names  were  Windsor  and 
Rounds,  are  mentioned  as  having  laboured  here  in  early 
times,  but  w  hat  became  of  them  I  cannot  learn.  By  their 
names  one  would  think  they  went  from  Rhode-Island,  or 
Rehoboth,  or  Swansea. 


Accou7it  of  the  Churches  in  Nciv  Brunswick.         299 

A  Mr.  Joseph  Reed  was  called  to  the  ministry  in  this 
church,  probably  after  Mr.  Mason  left  the  place.  He 
laboured  here  awhile  with  much  success,  and  then  remov- 
ed to  Horton  and  died.  But  the  first  Baptist  church  here 
was  entirely  dissolved  before  Henry  AUine's  time.  Un- 
der his  ministry  there  was  a  revival  of  religion  in  this 
place,  and  a  Congregational  church  established.  But  this 
church  was  also  scattered  before  the  present  one  was  es- 
tablished, which  was  raised  up  under  the  ministry  of  Mr. 
Joseph  Crandall,  the  present  pastor,  in  the  year  1800. 

Salisbury,  Waterbury,  and  Prince- William  churches 
were  all  likewise  constituted  in  1800.  These  churches, 
together  with  those  of  Wakefield  and  Springfield,  belong  to 
the  Nova-Scotia  and  New-Brunswick  Association.  "The 
following  churches,  I  believe,  have  all  been  constituted 
since  those  abovementioned,  viz.  Fredericktown,  Man- 
gerville,  Shepody,  city  of  St.  John's,  Nashfork  or  Nash- 
walk,  Woodstock,  King's  Clear,  Long  Reach,  Sussex, 
St.  Mary's,  S:.  Martin's,  St.  George's,  St.  Andrews,  and 
St.  Stephen's.  Very  little  information  has  been  obtained 
respecting  the  time  when,  or  the  circumstances  under 
which  these  churches  were  formed,  except  that  a  number 
of  them  were  gathered  and  others  were  enlarged  and 
strengthened,  by  Elders  Isaac  Case,  Henry  Hale,  Daniel 
Merrill,  and  Amos  Allin,  who  have  travelled  hither,  under 
the  patronage  of  the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary 
Society,  and  that  most  of  those  in  the  parishes  are  on  the 
western  boundary  of  the  province,  adjoining  the  District 
of  Maine. 

By  the  foregoing  sketches  it  appears  that  the  Baptists 
are  in  a  flourisliing  condition,  generally  speaking,  in  the  two 
provinces  of  Nova-Scotiaand  New- Brunsu'ick,  andalthough 
ihey  began  here  almost  fifty  years  ago,  yet  they  never  pre- 
vailed rnucb  until  within  fii'teen  or  twenty  years  past. 

In  the  midst  of  the  ardent  zeal  of  the  New-Lights  there 
was  no  small  portion  of  enthusiasm  and  error,  too  much 
of  which  was  retained  by  them  after  they  became  Baptists. 
And,  indeed,  amongst  the  Baptists,  there  has  been  propa- 
gated a  system  of  speculations,  called  the  New  Dispensa- 
tion, of  a  very  fantastic  nature.  This  system  consists  in 
a  mystical  explanation  of  many  passages  of  scripture,  and 
illustrates  many  theological  points  in  a  fanciful  and  highly 


300       Extract  of  a  Letter  from  Thomas  H»  Chipma?h 

ludicrous  manner.  This  Dispensation  was,  at  one  time, 
advocated  by  some  Baptist  ministers,  uho  ha\e  since  aban- 
doned it,  and  who  now  hold  a  very  respectable  standing 
among  the  churches  in  this  country.  The  Dispensation 
itself  is  waxing  old  and  unpopular,  and  vanishing  away. 

Many  of  the  churches  in  this  country  have  enjoyed  very 
precious  seasons  of  revival,  within  a  few  years  past,  some 
accounts  of  \Ahich  have  been  published  in  the  Massachu- 
setts Baptist  Missionary  Magazine,  edited  by  Dr.  Baldwin 
of  Boston.  The  following  extracts  will  give  the  reader  a 
better  view  of  these  revivals,  than  we  can  otherwise  ex- 
hibit. 

EXTRACT  OF  A  LETTER  FROM  REV.  THOMAS  H.  (HIPMAN,  TO  THE 
EDITOR  OF  THE  M.  B.  M.  MAGAZINE. 

*'  Yarmouth,  Shelhurne  county ^ 
Nova-:icoiia,  Dec.  5,  1805. 

*'  REVEREND  AND  DEAR  SIR, 

"  I  have  been  in  this  town  and  Argyle,  five  weeks,  and  such 
glorious  times  1  never  saw  before.  Multitudes  are  turned  to  God. 
It  is  about  three  months  since  the  work  began  in  \'ai  mouth. 
Brother  Harding  is  the  minister  of  this  place,  v\ho  stands  clear  in 
the  doctrines  of  the  glorious  gospel,  and  in  the  order  and  discipline 
of  God's  house.  Since  the  work  began,  there  have  been  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  souls  brought  to  own  Jesus.  But  a  number  of 
these  had  probably  been  born  again  beibre,  but  had  received  no  sat- 
isfying evidence  until  now.  Before  I  came  to  this  place,  brotlier 
Harding  had  baptized  seven  persons  ;  since  1  came  he  and  myself, 
on  one  Sabbath,  baptized  eighteen.  The  Sabbath  after  but  one,  we 
baptized  forty.  We  have  had  two  church  meetings,  and  surely  I 
never  saw  such  meetings  before.  The  last  Saturday  v\e  [,egan  at  tea 
in  the  morning,  and  continued  till  eight  in  the  evening,  to  hear  per- 
sons relate  the  dealings  of  God  with  their  souls.  Some  of  them 
have  been  great  enemies  to  the  truth,  and  never  went  to  meeting  un- 
til God  converted  their  souls.  Some  would  inform  the  enemies  of 
religion,  that  they  covdd  not  say,  that  this.or  that  preacher  or  person 
had  influenced  or  turned  them  ;  lor  God  had  done  the  work  for 
them  at  home.  A  great  many  of  the  subjects  of  this  work  have 
been  young  people  and  children. 

"Monday,  Dec.  8.  Yesterday  brother  Harding  and  myself  bap- 
tized twenty-two  persons,  and  there  are  a  considerable  number  now 
waiting  that  have  been  approved  of  by  the  church.  The  work  is 
still  spreading. 

"  At  Argyle,  twenty  miles  from  this,  there  has  been  a  glorious 
work  the  summer  past.  God  has  visited  Tuscut-river,  a  village  be- 
tween this  and  Argyle,  where  brother  Harding  and  myself  have  bap- 
tized four.     There  is  an  Escjuire  1. ,    a   member  of  the  House  of 

Assembly,  who  is  a  christian,  whom  God  hath  blessed  with  a  hand- 


Extract  of  a  Letter  from  Rev.  Enoch  Towner.       301 

some  property,  and  a  heart  to  devote  it  to  his  service.  His  wife  is  of 
the  same  spirit  :  Two  of  their  children,  1  believe,  are  sealed  to  the 
day  of  redemption, 

*"'  Yours,  with   great   esteem, 

THOMAS  H.  CHIPMAN." 


EXTRACT  OF  A  LETTER,  FROM  REV.  ENOCH  TOWNER,  TO  THE  SAME, 

Argyle,  Nova-Scotia,  April  13,  I8O7. 

**  REVERED  AND  DEAR  SIR, 

'*  On  the  16th  of  July  last  I  sat  out  from  Digby,  Annapolis  coun- 
ty, ray  place  of  residence,  on  a  journey  to  Artjyle,  where  1  arrived 
on  Saturday  the  18th,  late  in  the  evening.  The  people  not  having 
notice  of  my  coming,  and  the  next  morning  being  very  rainy,  but 
few  attended  the  meeting.  I  was  requested  to  stay  another  Sabbath, 
which  I  did,  and  preached  several  times  in  the  course  of  the  week. 
Religion  was  at  a  very  low  ebb  amoiig  the  lew  professors,  who  be- 
longed to  a  church  formerly  established  by  a  Mr.  t  rost,  a  New- 
Light  Congregational  minister.  After  his  death  the  church  was 
re-established  and  increased  under  the  ministration  of  other  preach- 
ers ;  they  still  holding  the  baptism  of  believers  uon-essential  to  fel- 
lowship in  the  church  of  Christ.  The  broken  and  scattered  state 
of  this  church  was  great  ;  all  discipline  was  done  away.  Neverthe- 
less there  were  a  few  mourning  souls,  that  would  not  be  comforted,, 
because  God's  heritage  lay  waste. 

"  Here  1  tarried  the  next  Lord's  day  and  preached  from  Solo- 
mon's Song,  V.  l6.  His  mouth  is  most  sweet  :  yea,  he  is  a/tos^eth- 
er  lovely.  This  is  my  beloved,  and  this  is  my  friend,  O  daughters  of 
Jerusalem  ;  and  in  the  afternoon  from  chap.  i.  8.     If  thou  know  not, 

0  thou  fairest  among  women,  go  thq  xvay  forth  by  the  footsteps  of 
the  flock,  and  feed  thy  kids  beside  the  shepherds'  tents.  The  set 
time  was  now  come  to  raise  his  people  from  the  dust.  A  joung  wo- 
man, who  had  been  awakened  the  winter  beiore,  by  hearing  some 
young  people  sing  and  discourse  upon  the  happiness  of  religiou,  in 
the  township  of  Digby,  the  impression  of  which  had  never  left  her, 
till  this  Sabbath  evening,  when  she  found  peace  and  joy  in  the  gos- 
pel. Her  feelings  led  her  to  exhort  her  young  companions  to  turn 
to  the  Lord.  Many  were  brought  to  bow  to  the  sceptre  of  King 
Jesus,  and  proclaim  salvation  in  his  blessed  name.  Here  1  saw  the 
Lord  had  begun  his  work.  The  young  professors  manifested  a  de- 
sire to  follow  their  Lord's  commands,  and  be  buried  with  him  by 
baptism.  There  being  no  church  here  for  them  to  covenant  with, 
as  most  of  the  old  professors  could  not  see  the  expediency  of  baptism, 

1  was  at  a  loss  how  to  proceed  ;  but  resolved  to  follow  the  Lord's  ( om- 
mand  to  teach  and  baptize.  Accordingly  a  conference  meeting  was 
appointed  to  hear  their  experiences,  when  nine  came  forward,  two 
old  professors,  and  seven  young  converts,  and  were  baptized  the 
fourth  Lord's  day  after  my  first  arrival.  After  this,  the  work  spread 
with  great  power,  and  people  assembled  from  all  parts  of  the  town, 
and  some  from   the  adjoining  towns.     1   thought  proper  to  send  for 


302         Extract  of  Letter  from  Re^'c.  Israel  Potter. 

brother  Harris  Harding,  as  he  was  more  acquainted  with  the  old 
professors  than  I  was,  as  many  had  professed  under  his  ministry,  in 
order  to  see  if  we  could  settle  a  church  ;  but  it  proved  to  no  pur- 
pose at  this  time.  However,  ten  came  forward  and  were  baptized. 
I  now  thought  it  proper  to  form  those,  who  had  been  baptized,  into 
some  order  ;  and  for  that  purpose  offered  them  a  covenant  which 
they  cherrfully  signed.  In  a  few  days  from  this  time,  there  were 
twenty-two  of  the  old  professors,  who  came  forward  to  baptism. 
Here  was  seen  a  mother,  son  and  wife,  and  grand-daughter,  all  fol- 
lowing their  Lord  into  the  water  !  Here  was  one  man  seventy  years 
of  age,  and  a  little  boy  of  only  ten  !  Baptism  was  administered  five 
Lord's  days  successively,  until  seventy-eight  joined  the  church. 
After  staying  here  thirteen  Sabbaths,  I  was  under  the  necessity  of 
returning  to  my  people.  I  tarried  there  four  weeks,  and  then  re- 
turned to  this  place  again.  I  found  the  Lord  was  still  at  work, 
though  not  so  powerfully  as  when  1  left  them.  But  the  cloud  seem- 
ed to  return  again;  for  there  being  a  number  of  men,  who  follow 
the  seas,  on  returning  home  to  winter,  seeing  such  an  alteration  in 
the  place  were  struck  with  deep  solemnity.  Many  were  wounded  to 
their  hearts,  and  made  to  groan  under  the  weight  of  their  sins.  The 
last  Sabbath  in  March,  twenty  came  forward  and  were  baptized.  I 
must  conclude  with  adding,  that  one  hundred  and  twenty  have  been 
baptized.  There  were  five  baptisms  in  the  winter  season.  Twenty- 
four  have  told  their  experiences,  who  are  not  yet  baptized,  and  a 
number  of  others  are  under  hopeful  impressions.  The  work  is  still 
going  on  in  this  place,  and  spreading  rapidly  in  different  parts  of 
Hie  province. 

*'  I  am.  Sir,  your  unworthy  brother  in  Christ, 

ENOCH  TOWNER." 

Notwithstanding  tlie  extent  of  the  foregoing  extracts, 
yet  I  am  unwilling  the  reader  should  be  without  the  pleas- 
ing intelligence  contained  in  the  two  following  communi- 
cations. 

EXTRACT  OF    A    LETTER  FROM  THE    REV.  ISRAEL    POTTER,    TO  THE 
EDITOR  OF  THE  SAME. 

"  Clements,  Annapolis  coimty, 
Nova-Scotia,  May  12,  1810. 
*'  PEAR  AND  REV.  SIR, 

"  In  the  beginning  of  March  last,  a  most  wonderful  and  powerful 
reformation  bet^an  in  the  lower  part  of  this  town,  which  seemed  to 
pervade  the  minds  of  old  and  young,  and  many,  we  hope,  were 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  About  ten  days  after,  the 
good  work  made  its  appearance  in  the  middle  of  the  town.  The 
people  assembled  from  every  quarter,  and  it  seemed  that  it  might 
be  truly  said,  that  God  was  passing  through  the  place  in  a  very  pow- 
erful manner.  The  glorious  work  has  since  spread  through  every 
part  of  the  town,  and  some  of  all  ages  have  been  made  to  bow  to  i\w 
mild  sceptre  of  the  Redeemer. 


Extract  of  a  Letter  from  Ee'u.  Daniel  Merrill.      303 

'•'  The  ordinance  of  baptism  has  been  administered  for  five  Sab- 
baths successively.  Forty-five  have  been  admitted  to  this  sacred 
rite,  and  a  church  has  been  constituted  upon  the  gospel  plan,  con- 
sisting of  sixty  five  members,  to  which  we  expect  further  additions. 
If  I  should  say  that  two  hundred  have  been  hopefully  converted  to 
the  Lord  in  this  town  since  the  reformation  commenced,  I  think  I 
should  not  exceed  the  truth.  The  good  work  is  still  spreading  east- 
ward very   rapidly,  and  looks  likely  to  spread  through  the  province. 

"  The  opposition  has  been  great,  and  many  oaths  have  been  sworn 
even  in  the  time  of  divine  service.  But  the  Lord  has  triumphed 
gloriously  over  the  horse  and   his  rider,  and   blessed  be  his  name. 

"  At  Round-hill  I  understand  there  is  a  number  to  be  baptized 
to-day.  The  province  of  Nova-Scotia  has  been  highly  favoured 
with  the  gospel.  We  beg  an  interest  in  your  prayers,  that  the 
Lord  would  give  us  strength  to  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  that 
was  once  delivered  to  the  saints. 

*'  Your  unworthy  friend, 

ISRAEL  POTTER." 


EXTRACT  OF  A  LETTER  FROM  THE  REV.  DANIEL  MERRILL,   TO  THE 
EDITOR  OF  THE  SAME. 

''Sedgwick,  Maine,  Aug.  17,  1810. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER, 

"  A  fortnight  to  day,  I  returned  from  my  eastern  expedition.  My 
route  lay  through  part  of  his  Britannic  Majesty's  dominions,  and  hard 
by  some  of  the  strong  holds  of  satan  ;  I  was  every  where,  however, 
received    with  sufficient  attention  and  civility. 

It  was  very  pleasing  to  me,  to  behold  my  beloved  brethren  of  No- 
va-Scotia and  New-Brunswick,  who  have  so  lately  emerged  into 
gospel  liberty,  so  expert  in  discipline,  so  determinate  in  christiari 
order  and  communion,  and  so  well  marshalled  in  battle  arraj'.  They 
appear  in  a  very  good  degree,  like  veterans,  whilst  they  are,  in  age, 
but  very  children.  Fourteen  years  only  have  elapsed,  since  but  one 
baptized  church  was  to  be  found  in  both  provinces.  Now  they  can 
count  nearly  forty,  and  some  of  them  are  large  and  flourishing. 

"  Their  Association,  which  I  visited  as  a  messenger  from  the  Lin- 
coln, was  holden  at  Sackville  on  the  2oth  and  26th  of  June.  It  was 
a  good  season.  Tokens  of  the  Chief  Shepherd's  kindness  and  preti- 
ence  appeared  specially  manifest.  The  elders  and  messengers  of 
the  churches  were  solemn,  cheerful,  and  of  good  courage.  The  let- 
ters from  the  different  churches  were  refreshing,  and  fraught  with 
much  good  news.  In  one  county,  (Annapolis,  if  I  mistake  not)  be- 
tween two  aiid  three  hundred  had  put  on  Christ  the  present  year,  by 
being  baptized  into  him.  Babylon  appears  to  be  in  full  retreat, 
yet  her  pursuers  should  be  very  wary,  for  she  is  very  subtle,  and  b\ 
no  means  in  a  very  good  mood.  She  thrust  one  of  Christ's  minis- 
ters* into  prison,  the  week  before  I  left  those  regions,   and  their  evit 

*  Mr.  EnnJs.    See  an  account  of  him  towards   the  do^r:  of  this  thapter 


304      Extract  of  a  Letter  from  Rei'.  Darnel  Merrill. 

eye  was  fixed  on  brother  Hale,  to  take  him  the  same  week  ;  but  he 
being  a  "  Gospel  Rauj^er,"  they  were  not,  and  1  presume  they  will 
not  be  able  to  incarcerate  him. 

"  Zion's  God  is  so  generally  lengthening  her  cords,  and  making 
her  stakes  stronger,  tliat  I  cannot,  in  one  short  letter,  descend  to 
particulars,  without  leaving  the  larger  half  behind.  However,  that 
my  letter  be  not  altogether  in  generals,  I  will  particularize  a  few 
instances. 

"  I  will  begin  with  Brier-Island.  The  place  was  notorious  for 
irreligion,  perhaps  as  much  so,  in  proportion  to  its  magnitude,  as 
was  Sodom,  on  the  morning  of  Lot's  escape.  Last  autumn  or  win- 
ter, brother  Peter  Crandal  visited  the  Island,  and  preached  to  as 
many  of  the  shy  Islanders,  as  he  could  collect  within  hearing  of  his 
voice.  He  was  threatened  with  death  if  he  ventured  to  preach  on 
this  Island  again.  However,  he  loved  their  salvation,  more  than  he 
feared  their  threatenings  ;  he  ventured,  the  people  collected,  he 
spoke,  and  the  Lord  spoke  too.  At  a  late  hour  the  assembly  was 
dismissed.  He  retired,  but  ere  soft  sleep  had  closed  his  eyes,  a 
messenger  requested  he  would  visit  a  house  distrest.  Without 
gainsaying  he  arose  and  followed  him.  Whilst  on  his  way,  in  the 
first  house  he  passed,  he  discovered  a  light  ;  it  came  into  his  mind 
just  to  call  and  see  how  they  did.  He  found  them  in  the  agonies  of 
dying  unto  sin  ;  an  household  distrest  for  sins  committed  and  salva- 
tion infinitely  needed.  He  saw  their  anguish  manifestly  such,  as 
all  must  feel,  or  die  forever  ;  and  observing  their  exercises  and  sit- 
uation such  as  he  judged  not  expedient  to  be  interrupted,  retired  ii» 
silence.  The  next  house  he  found  and  left  in  a  very  similar  condi- 
tion. Going  a  little  further,  he  heard  a  person  in  the  field,  manifest- 
ing, by  his  sighs  and  groans,  bitterness  of  spirit.  Mr.  Crandall  turn- 
ed aside,  and  in  silent  wonder  beheld,  and  left  the  sin-sick  man. 
He  was  soon  at  the  house  whence  they  had  sent  for  him.  Here  he 
found  a  company  sorely  opprest  with  their  load  of  sin,  burdened  by- 
it,  and  longing  to  be  free.  Here  he  broke  silence,  and  pointed  dy- 
ing sinners  to  a  living  Saviour.  On  this  never  to  be  forgotten  Island, 
in  sixteen  of  the  eighteen  families  which  reside  on  it,  were  thirty- 
three  hopefully  born  from  above.  The  reformation  had  reached  the 
main,  so  that  when  I  saw  him,  he  had  baptized  between  fifty  and  an 
hundred. 

"  Before  this  shall  reach  you,  brother  Hale's  to  brother  Collier  will 
proljably  be  handed  to  you.  In  addition  to  what  he  has  communi- 
cated, I  will  add,  that  he  has  given  but  a  very  modest  account  of 
what  the  Lord  hath  wrought  on  Belisle  Bay  by  him.  I  know  not 
whether  I  ever  saw  or  heard  of  any  one  garrison,  being  so  largely 
harassed  by  a  single  gospel  ranger  in  the  compass  of  one  campaign, 
and  that  too  a  winter  one.  It  is  true  brother  Ansley,  who  is  no 
mean  soldier,  was  there  one  evening,  in  which  the  Lord  wrought 
wonderfully.  An  account  of  this  evening,  with  one  preceding  it, 
is  nearly  as  much  as  I  have  now  time  to  relate.  On  an  evening  pre- 
ceding the  two,  and  in  which  brother  Hale  delivered  his  first  dis- 
course to  the  then  idle  people  on  Belisle  Bay,  a  Pollv  Davis  was  ar- 
rested by  the  Spirit  of  truth,  ond,  before  the  next  rising  sun,  was  set 
at  liberty.     The  next  day   being  a  militia  muster,  the  young  men 


Nonia-Scotia  and  JVew-Bnmswick  Association.       305 

caaie  to  see  their  changed  associate,  and  wondered  at  but  hated  the 
change.  Another  lecture  was  appointed  for  the  following  evening. 
Not  far  from  the  time  of  meeting,  two  of  the  foremost  young  men,  tak- 
ing the  inn  on  their  way,  culled  for  half  a  pint  of  ardent  spirits  each, 
and  drank  it,  observing  that  they  would  raise  the  devil  at  the  meet- 
ing. The  religious  exercises  began,  and  sleep  prevailed  over  the 
young  men,  till  little  more  was  to  be  heard.  However,  they  awoke 
from  their  drunkenness,  and  in  season  to  hear  a  sentence  or  two, 
and  what  they  heard  was  as  a  nail  in  a  sure  place.  They  had  rest 
no  more,  till  they  found  it  in  believing.  Soon  after  this,  at  an  evening 
lecture,  brother  Ansley  preached,  and  when  brother  Hale  had  observ- 
ed vvhat  hejudged  expedient,  and  the  assembly  were  dismissed,  the 
people  all  sat  down.  A  solemn  silence  now  prevailed  for  nearly  an 
hour,  when  a  young  woman,  of  about  20,  who  had  been  baptized  tea 
years  before,  arose,  and,  filled  with  a  sense  of  her  backsliding  heart, 
spake  in  such  a  feeling  and  solemn  manner,  as  greatly  to  aiect  the 
whole  assembly.  It  was  now  a  time  of  weeping,  mourning,  and 
lamentation.  The  saving  health  of  our  Immanuel  soon  appeared 
in  healing  the  broken  hearted,  and  setting  the  poor  captives  free. 
Before  the  morning  light,  nine  young  converts  were  chanting  forth 
their  young  hosannas. 

"  You  can  hardly  imagine  how  suddenly  and  deeply  these  things 
waked  the  enemies  of  reformation,  and  roused  all  their  powers  of  op- 
position. The  church  priest  now  visited  where  he  had  never  walked 
before.  The  dialogues  between  him  and  his  now  converted,  bat 
heretofore  deluded  parishioners,  would  be  sufficiently  entertaining, 
had  I  time  to  relate  them. 

"From  Belisle  Bay,  I  came  down  the  river  to  the  city  of  St. 
John's,  where  I  preached  three  times,  twice  on  the  commons,  and 
baptized  one  worthy  man  and  two  honourable  women. 

"  In  bonds  of  perpetual  friendship,  I  am  sincerely  yours, 

"DANIEL  MERRILL," 


NOVA-SCOTIA    AND    NEW-BRUNSWICK    ASSOCIATION. 

So  much  has  been  said  of  the  churches  of  which  this 
body  is  composed,  that  its  history  will,  of  consequence,  be 
short.  It  commenced  and  has  progressed  in  the  following 
manner. 

In  1797,  four  ministers,  whose  names  \iere  Pazant, 
Chipman,  James  and  Edward  Mannin^%  met  in  Cornwallis 
and  devised  the  plan  of  an  Association.  According  to 
their  request,  six  churches,  by  their  delegates,  met  the 
next  year,  among  whom  were  six  ministers,  some  of  whom 
were  Congregationalists,  and  some  Baptists,  and  all  the 
churches  were,  at  this  time,  composed  of  a  mixture  of 
both  denominations.      At  this  time  t.he  Association  was 

VOL.  I.  39 


306         Open  Communion  opposed  by  the  Association. 

formed,  and  mixed  communion,  at  that  da}',  was  a  thing 
of  course,  and  continued  to  be  practised  in  this  body,  for 
eleven  years,  viz.  until  1809.  The  Association  had  now- 
become  considerably  large  ;  it  had  enjoyed  many  prosper, 
ous  seasons,  and  believer's  baptism  had  almost  supplanted 
the  doctrine  of  infant  sprinkling.  The  reader  will  perceive 
by  the  preceding  history  of  the  churches,  that  the  terms  of 
communion  had  been  previously  much  agitated  among 
them.  Many  had  come  to  a  point  on  the  subject,  and  the 
Association  at  its  annual  session  in  1809,  found  itself  so 
much  straitened  and  embarrassed,  that  a  vote  w'as  then 
passed,  that  for  the  future,  no  church  should  be  consider- 
ed as  belonging  to  it,  which  admitted  of  open  communion. 
On  account  of  this  vote,  four  churches  were  dropped  or 
else  withdrew. 

It  was  a  trying  circumstance  in  the  minds  of  many,  to 
shut  their  doors  against  so  many  of  their  pious  and  belov- 
ed Pedobaptist  brethren,  who  had  so  long  travelled  in 
communion  with  them.  And  under  these  delicate  circum- 
stances, some  were  doubtless  over-zealous  in  pushing  the 
reformation,  while  others,  probably  from  the  tenderness  of 
their  feelings,  declined  promoting  a  measure,  of  the  propri- 
ety of  which  they  were  most  fully  convinced.  The  read- 
er must  not  suppose,  that  all  the  unbaptized  persons,  whom 
these  churched  admitted  to  their  communion,  were  zeal- 
ous for  Pedo-baptism.  Many  of  them  were  what  some 
have  called  Upland  Baptists,  who  profess  to  be  convinced 
of  the  duty  of  believer's  baptism,  but  live  through  life  in 
the  neglect  of  it.  Some  of  these  persons  were  so  fully  con- 
vinced of  the  propriety  of  unmixed  communion,  that  they 
said  to  their  brethren,  "  Do  not  wait  for  us,  but  go  forward 
and  do  your  duty,  and  leave  us  to  do  ours."  And  many 
of  these  who  had  lona:  been  haltin2:,  and  who  felt  in  a 
measure  easy  in  their  minds,  while  their  baptized  brethren 
sanctioned  their  neglect,  by  admitting  diem  to  the  same 
church  privileges  with  themselves,  now  were  awakened  to 
a  sense  of  their  duty,  come  forward  and  were  baptized. 

Many,  who  had  been  for  a  long  time  much  embarrassed 
on  their  former  plan,  were  now  relieved,  and  viewed 
themselves  as  standing  on  tenable  ground  ;  and  many  in- 
dividuals throughout  the  country,  and  the  whole  church  at 
Halifax,  who  hud  refused  communing  and  associating  with 


Number  of  Ministers  in  the  two  Provinces.         307 

the  mixed  communion  connexion,  as  soon  as  they  were 
reformed,  most  cordially  united  \vith  them.  The  disci- 
pline of  the  churches  has  been  much  better  regulated  on 
the  new  plan  than  on  the  old  one.  The  Association  has 
opened  a  correspondence  with  the  Associations  in  the  Dis- 
trict of  Maine,  from  which  it  has  derived  much  comfort 
and  advantage.  The  new  churches  which  have  been  form- 
ed, have  been  established  on  the  gospel  plan.  So  that  the 
reformation  in  the  terms  of  communion  was  an  important 
era  in  the  history  of  the  Nova-Scotia  churches. 

There  are  now  about  eighteen  or  twenty  ordained,  and 
eight  or  ten  unordained  ministers  in  these  two  provinces, 
and  besides  them  there  are  a  number  of  gifted  brethren, 
who  bid  fair  for  the  ministry.  Some  of  these  ministers 
are  natives  of  the  country,  and  the  others  have  emigrated 
hither  from  the  United  States,  and  from  different  parts  of 
Europe.  Mr.  Chipman  was  born  in  Newport,  Rhode- 
Island.  The  tvvo  Mannings  are  natural  brothers  ;  they 
were  born  in  Ireland,  and  were  brought  to  this  country 
when  they  were  small.  Mr.  Ries,  who  has  recently  been  on 
a  mission  to  New-Orleans,  is  a  native  of  France  ;  he  was 
brought  a  prisoner  to  Halifax,  when  he  was  quite  young. 
Messrs.  Ansley  and  Towner  are  both  natives  of  the  State 
of  New- York.  Mr.  Burton's  history  has  already  been 
related.  Mr.  Easterbrooks  was  born  in  one  of  the 
United  States,  which,  I  have  not  learnt.  I  believe  that  all 
the  remaining  ministers  are  natives  of  one  or  the  other 
of  these  two  provinces. 

Some  of  their  ministers  are  in  part  supported  by  the 
churches  which  they  serve,  and  others  receive  but  little. 
A  number  of  them  have  good  estates.  The  Baptist 
churches  in  this  country,  as  in  all  others,  are  pretty  care- 
ful how  they  pamper  their  ministers,  but  they  are  said, 
notwithstanding,  to  be  very  liberal  to  strangers  who  travel 
among  them  ;  and  the  fame  of  this  liberality  has  induced 
many  impostors  to  visit  them. 

Mr.  Daniel  Dodge,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Wilmington,  Delaware,  was  born  at  Port-Royal  in  Nova- 
Scotia.  Mr.  Job  Seamans  of  New-London,  New-Hamp- 
shire, began  preaching  in  this  country,  as  did  Mr.  John 
Grant,  late  of  Middleton,  Connecticut,  now  of  Chester, 
Massachusetts. 


308         Church  of  England  the  Established  Religion. 

The  list  of  churches  and  ministers  in  these  two  provinces 
will  be  given  in  the  general  table. 

The  church  of  England  is  the  established  religion  in 
these  two  provinces,  but  dissenters  are  tolerated,  and  suffer 
but  few  restrictions  or  embarrassments  ;  and  what  is 
much  for  their  comfort,  "  They  are  excused  from  any 
rates  or  taxes  for  the  support  of  the  established  church." 
In  Nova- Scotia,  no  person  is  obliged  to  get  a  license  from 
the  Governor,  except  he  be  an  alien.  In  that  case  it  is 
necessary.  Mr.  Ries,  because  he  is  a  Frenchman,  has 
been  apprehended  four  times,  by  the  authority  of  v\  hat  is 
called  the  Vagrant  Act,  if  1  mistake  not  the  name.  Once 
he  was  taken  two  hundred  miles  from  Halifax,  and  con- 
ducted a  prisoner  thither,  but  he  easily  obtained  a  release  ; 
for  these  molestations  were  not  from  the  spirit  of  the  laws 
or  magistrates,  but  from  the  malicious  spirit  of  ill-nat"ired 
people  who  found  an  old  law  which  suited  their  purpose. 

In  New-Brunswick,  although  there  is  a  general  tolera- 
tion for  dissenters,  yet  there  is  an  old  law,  which  prohibits 
all  dissenters,  except  Presbyterians,  from  doing  many 
things,  and  among  the  rest  from  performing  the  ceremony 
of  marriage,  and  preaching  without  the  Governor's  license. 
I  do  not  know  as  all  take  pains  to  solicit  this  permission 
from  his  Excellency,  but  if  they  do,  it  is  easily  obtained. 
The  Episcopal  priests  are  the  most  interested  in  this  old 
law,  and  they  care  but  htde  who  preaches  ;  but  the  con- 
cerns of  matrimony  they  guard  with  more  care  on  account 
of  the  fees.  Some  lime  ago  an  old  Baptist  minister  by 
the  name  of  Innes  presumed  to  marry  a  couple  who  lived 
forty  miles  from  where  any  Episcopal  clergyman  resided. 
For  this  act  he  was  complained  of,  and  thrown  into  pris- 
on, where  he  lay,  I  believe,  more  than  a  year ;  but  he  is 
now  out  upon  bail,  and  the  brethren,  I  am  informed,  are 
about  to  petition  for  a  repeal  of  the  law.  The  fine  for  this 
transgression  is  not  less  than  fifty,  and  not  more  than  a 
liUndrcd  pounds. 


William  Scriven  and  others forni  a  Church  i7i  Maine.    309 
CHAP.  IX. 

DISTRICT    OF    MAINE. 

This  is  a  large  tract  of  country  of  two  hundred  miles 
square,  belonging  to  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  from 
which  it  is  separated  by  the  State  of  New- Hampshire. 
It  lies  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  extends  east  to  the  British 
Province  of  New-Brunswick,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Lower  Canada. 

As  early  as  1681,  there  were  some  Baptists  in  Kittery 
on  Piscataqua  River,  in  the  south-west  part  of  this  Dis- 
trict, who  united  at  first  with  the  church  in  Boston,  then 
under  the  care  of  Elder  Hull.  The  year  after,  they  were 
formed  into  a  church,  which  was  soon  broken  up  by  the 
persecutions  of  its  enemies,  and  by  the  removal  of  its 
members  to  other  parts.  The  constituents  of  this  church 
were  William  Scriven,  elder,  Humphrey  Churchwood, 
deacon,  Robert  Wilhams,  John  Morgandy,  Richard  Cutts, 
Timothy  Davis,  Leonard  Drown,  William  Adams,  Hum- 
phrey Azell,  George  Litten,  and  a  number  of  sisters. 
Scriven  went  to  South- Carolina,  and  founded  the  church 
at  Charleston,  and  probably  some  of  the  others  went  with 
him. 

After  the  dispersion  of  this  little  company  we  hear  no 
more  of  Baptists  in  this  region,  nor  indeed  in  this  District ; 
until  about  1767,  when  there  was  a  revival  of  reUgion  in 
Berwick,  which,  like  Kittery,  is  in  the  county  of  York, 
just  over  the  line  of  New-Hampshire,  and  Mr.  Smith  of 
Haverhill  went  and  baptized  a  considerable  number  of 
persons,  who  were  formed  into  a  church  by  his  assist- 
ance the  next  year. 

The  next  church  formed  in  this  District  was  at  Gor- 
ham,  near  Casco  Bay,  in  the  county  of  Cumber- 
land. This  church  was  also  organized  by  the  assist- 
ance of  Mr.  Smith  of  Haverhill.  Joseph  Moody,  a  mem- 
ber of  it,  had  his  horse  taken  from  him  for  a  ministerial 
tax  of  about  six  dollars.  Not  long  after  he  petitioned  the 
Assembly  at  Boston,  that  they  would,  like  the  good  Sa- 
maritan, set  him  on  his  own  beast.  But  the  legislators, 
like  the  Priest  and  Levite,  passed  him  by  without  com- 
passion. 


310  Great  increase  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine, 

In  a  few  years  after,  other  churches  arose  in  the  western 
part  of  this  District,  in  Sanford,  Wells,  Shapleigh,  Cox- 
hall,  Parsonsfield,  New-Gloucester,  Harpswell,  &c.  in 
the  counties  of  York  and  Cumberland.  These  were  all 
founded  by  the  year  1785.  In  the  course  of  ten  years 
following,  other  churches  had  arisen  in  the  same  counties 
at  Waterborough,  Fryeburg,  Cornish,  Hebron,  Buckfield, 
Paris,  Livermore,  and  Raymondstown  ;  and  since  them 
a  great  many  others  have  been  formed  in  their  re- 
spective vicinities.  Still  farther  eastward  in  this  District, 
in  the  county  of  Lincoln,  churches  began  to  be  formed 
about  1784,  by  the  labours  of  James  Potter,  Job  Macom- 
ber,  Isaac  Case,  and  others. 

Mr.  Potter  was  born  at  Brunswick,  in  this  District,  in 
17?4  ;  Mr.  Macomber  is  a  native  of  Middleborough, 
and  Mr.  Case  of  Rehoboth,  in  Massachusetts.  They  all 
began  labouring  in  this  part  of  Maine,  when  it  was  in  a 
wilderness  condition,  and  soon  churches  were  formed  in 
Bowdoinham,  Thomastown,  Edgecomb,  Bowdoin,  Vas- 
salborough,  Ballston,  and  many  other  places.  Elder  Si- 
mon Lock,  from  Wells,  was  very  useful  in  his  ministerial 
visits  in  these  parts,  and  as  the  churches  increased,  a  num- 
ber of  useful  ministers  were  raised  up  to  supply  them, 
among  whom  were  Elisha  Snow,  Humphrey  Purinton, 
William  Stinson,  Asa  Wilbour,  Lemuel  Jackson,  Andrew 
Fuller,  Ephraim  Hall,  Mephibosheth  Cain,  Nehemiah 
Gould,  Job  Chadwick,  and  others.* 

As  the  settlements  extended,  the  Baptists  carried  their 
principles  eastward  until  they  reached  the  British  line, 
and  a  considerable  number  of  churches  have  been  planted 
by  the  ministers  of  this  District,  in  the  Provinces  of  New- 
Brunswick  and  Nova-Scotia. 

So  great  has  been  the  increase  of  the  Baptists  in  the 
District  of  Maine,  that  it  now  contains  three  large  Associ- 
ations, not  far  from  a  hundred  and  thirty  churches,  and 
some  where  between  six  and  seven  thousand  members. 
This  great  increase  has  been  partly  by  emigrants  from 
other  places,  but  mostly  by  those  many  and  precious  re- 
vivals, v.?hich,  for  about  thirty  years  past,  have  been  grant- 
ed to  different  parts  of  this  highly  favoured  District. 

•  Backus,  vol.  ni.  p.  201—212. 


Mr.  Merrill  arid  his  Church  become  Baptists.       311 


BOWDOINHAM    ASSOCIATION. 

This  Association  was  begun  in  1787,  of  only  the  three 
churches  of  Bowdoinham,  Thomastown,  and  Harpswell, 
It  took  its  name  from  that  of  the  town  where  it  was  form- 
ed, which  is  on  the  Kennebeck  River,  about  170  miles 
northeast  of  Boston.  This  Association  had  increased  to 
forty-eight  churches  by  the  year  1804.  Nothing  special 
appears  to  have  occurred  in  this  body  daring  this  period, 
only  it  experienced  an  almost  uninterrupted  scene  of 
prosperity  and  enlargement. 

The  churches  of  which  it  was  composed,  were  now 
scattered  over  a  great  extent  of  country,  and  a  division 
was  thought  advisable,  which  was  accordingly  amicably 
effected. 

LINCOLN    ASSOCIATION. 

This  was  formed  by  the  division  of  the  Bowdoinham 
just  mentioned,  in  1804.  This  like  the  modier  body  has 
had  a  very  prosperous  course,  and  has  extended  its  bounds 
far  beyond  the  Penobscot  River,  in  the  new  towns  and 
plantations,  which  have  there  been  settled.  It  has  in- 
creased to  fifty  churches,  in  which  are  about  two  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  members. 

An  event  took  place  within  the  bounds  of  this  Associa- 
tion, the  year  after  it  was  formed,  which  excited  no  small 
attention  throughout  the  United  States. 

In  1805,  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill,  pastor  of  a  Congregation- 
al church  in  Sedgwick,  about  -300  miles  north-east  of 
Boston,  embraced  the  doctrine  of  believer's  baptism,  and 
preached  seven  sermons  in  defence  of  it.  These  sermons 
have  passsed  through  many  editions,  and  have  had  an  ex- 
tensive circulation  throughout  the  United  States.  The 
church  at  Sedgwick  was  then  in  a  flourishing  condition, 
and  had  before  been  famed  in  its  connexion  for  its  piety 
and  purity.  As  soon  as  Baptist  principles  began  to  be 
examined  among  them,  many  were  convinced  of  their 
former  errors,  and  embraced  them,  and  by  the  assistance 
of  Dr.  Baldwin  of  Boston,  Mr.  John  Pitman  of  Provi- 
dence, and  Mr.  Elisha  Williams  of  Beverly,  Mr.  Merrill 
and  wife,  and  others  of  his  church,  to  the  number  of  sixty- 
six,  were  buried  in  baptism,   ]May  13,  1805.     Nineteen 


312  A  baptismal  Contro'oersy  ensues. 

more  were  baptized  the  day  following,  and  the  whole  were 
formed  into  a  Baptist  church,  and  Mr.  Merrill  was  ordain- 
ed their  pastor.  The  Congregational  church  continued  to 
repair  to  the  water  until  about  a  hundred  and  twenty  of 
them  were  baptized  ! 

The  fame  of  these  proceedings  spread  far,  and  produc- 
ed unusual  sensations  among  different  parties.  The  Bap- 
tists had  every  reason  to  believe  that  Mr.  Merrill  and  his 
church  had  embraced  their  sentiments  from  a  sober  con- 
viction of  their  truth.  A  number  of  their  most  judicious 
ministers  had  visited  them,  heard  their  account,  and  given 
them  fellowship.  But  many  of  the  Pedobaptists  wonder- 
ed and  reproached.  Their  Dear  Brother  Merrill,  whom 
they  had  always  before  spoken  of  in  high  terms  of  respect 
as  an  evangelical  and  laborious  minister  of  the  cross,  was 
assailed  from  every  quarter.  Pamphlet  after  pamphlet 
was  written  against  him,  to  most  of  which  he  replied. 
Others  got  concerned  in  the  baptismal  controversy  on  both 
sides  of  the  question,  and  a  watery  war  raged  extensively 
for  a  number  of  years. 

The  Sedgwick  church,  after  its  renovation,  united  with 
the  Lincoln  Association,  in  which  it  still  continues.  The 
churches  of  Blue-hill  and  Deer-isle,  one  to  the  north  and 
the  other  to  the  south  of  it,  have  been  formed  from  it.  It 
has  sent  forth  into  the  ministry,  Phinehas  Pillsbury,  Henry- 
Hale,  Dr.  John  Burnham,  John  Roundy,  and  Amos 
Allen.  All  of  these  ministers,  except  Dr.  Burnham,  be- 
longed to  it  while  it  was  on  the  Pedobaptist  plan.  Ama- 
ziah  Dodge,  another  of  its  members,  has  been  approbated 
to  preach. 

On  east  of  the  bounds  of  the  Lincoln  Association,  to- 
wards the  British  line,  are  a  number  of  churches,  which, 
on  account  of  their  remote  situation,  have  not  yet  united 
with  any  Association. 

CUMBERLAND    ASSOCIATION. 

The  Bowdoinham  Association  by  1810,  only  six  years 
after  the  Lincoln  was  taken  from  it,  had  increased  to  fifty- 
one  churches,  and  had  again  become  too  large  to  meet 
with  convenience  in  one  body  ;  it  Was  therefore  agreed  in 
that  year  to  divide  it,  and  the  Androscoggin  or  Amoris- 
coggin  River,  was  fixed  upon  as  the  dividing  line.     The 


Lhermore  and  Portland  Churches.  313 

churches  east  of  this  line  remained  with  the  old  Associa- 
tion ;  those  to  the  west  of  it,  united  in  a  hew  one,  to 
w  hich  th>;y  gave  the  nanne  of  Cuml^rland.  This  Associ- 
ation is  in  the  south- west  corner  of  Maine,  and  compre- 
hends some  of  the  first  churches  which  were  organized 
in  it,  particularly  Harpswell,  Hebron,  Buckfield,  Paris, 
Livcrmore,  &c. 

The  church  in  Livermore  was  formed  in  1793.  It  is 
remarkable  for  having  approbated  eleven  ministers  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years.  Their  names  were  Elisha  Williams, 
Otis  Robinson,  Henry  Bond,  Zebedee  Delano,  Sylvanus 
Boardman,  William  Coding,  Thomas  Wyman,  John 
Simmons,  Ebenezer  Bray,  Perez  Ellis,  and  Ransom  Nor- 
ton. Williams  is  now  at  Beverlv,  Robinson  at  Salisburv, 
New-Hampshire,  Delano  at  Berwick,  Boardman  at  North- 
Yarmouth,  Wyman  at  Livermore,  Norton  wiih  the  second 
church  in  that  town.  Bray  is  at  Bethel;  respecting  the  oth- 
ers I  am  not  informed. 

The  church  in  Po/tland  on  account  of  its  singular  ori- 
gin and  local  situation  deserves  a  brief  description.  In 
1796,  five  or  six  persons  in  this  town  were  hopefully  born 
into  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  became  zealously  engaged 
in  religious  pursuits.  The  preaching  they  had  usually  at- 
tended was  not  sufficiently  evangelical  to  meet  their  views  ; 
they  therefore  in  a  short  time  declined  attending  it.  For 
a  time,  some  went  over  to  Cape  Elizabeth,  where  they 
were  comforted  by  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Mr.  Clark,  a  Con- 
gregational preacher,  who  died  not  long  after.  Among 
this  little  company  of  inquirers  for  truth,  were  Benjamin 
Titcomb,  now  pastor  of  the  church  in  Brunswick,  and 
Thomas  Beck,  one  of  the  deacons  of  the  church,  which 
arose  by  their  means.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Clark,  Mr. 
Titcomb  opened  his  own  house  for  the  reception  of  his 
pious  associates,  and  there,  for  a  time,  they  conducted  a  little 
meeting,  which  frequently  did  not  consist  of  more  than  six 
persons,  by  singing,  praying,  and  reading  sermons.  They 
next  proceeded  to  read  the  scriptures  only,  and  those  who 
were  able  expounded  them  to  the  rest.  All  this  time  they  had 
no  thoughts  of  becoming  Baptists,  nor  was  the  subject  of 
baptism  any  part  of  their  study.  But  having  taken  the 
Bible  for  their  guide,  believers'  baptism  followed  of  course* 

VOL.  I.  40 


514    Preparationsfor  a  College  for  the  Baptists  in  Maine.         i 

Mr.  Titcomb  was  baptized  in  1799,  by  Dr.  Green  of 
North-Yarmouth,  twelve  miles  south-east  of  Portland,  and 
united  with  the  church  then  under  the  Doctor's  care. 
Others,  not  long  after,  followed  his  example,  until  ten 
persons  were  baptized,  and  of  this  number  the  church, 
whose  history  ^ve  have  in  view,  was  formed  in  1801,  and 
Mr.  Titcomb,  \Aho  had  previously  been  called  to  the  min- 
istry by  the  church  in  North- Yarmouth,  became  its  pastor. 
He  continued  here  until  1804,  and  then  he  removed 
to  his  present  situation  in  Brunswick.  Twenty  were  add- 
ed to  the  Portland  church  under  his  ministry.  After  his 
removal  it  remained  destitute  of  a  pastor  until  1807,  when 
Mr.  John  Convers  was  ordained  to  the  care  of  it,  in  which 
he  continued  about  three  }  ears.  By  this  tim.e  it  increased 
to  over  a  hundred.  Soon  after  his  removal,  Mr.  Caleb 
Blood  was,  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  church,  settled 
in  the  pastoral  office,  in  \a  hich  he  still  remains.  This 
church  made  an  early  purchase  of  a  lot  in  a  central  part  of 
the  town,  ninety  feet  front,  and  seventy  back,  on  which 
they  erected  a  low  temporary  building,  which  they  occu- 
pied until  1811,  when  it  was  removed  to  make  room  for 
their  present  more  spacious  edifice,  which  is  sixty-one 
feet  by  sixty-four.  Thus  Mr.  Blood,  in  an  advanced  age, 
is  settled  with  a  young  church  under  promising  circum- 
stances. 

A  number  of  churches,  and  some  of  the  oldest  in 
Maine,  belong  to  the  New-Hampshire  Association.  There 
are  a  considerable  number  scattered  in  different  parts  of 
the  District,  which  are  not  associated,  and  besides,  there 
is  a  large  body  of  what  are  called  Free-will  Baptists,  whose 
history  w  ill  be  related  under  a  separate  head. 

The  Baptists,  in  this  District,  are  preparing  to  erect  a 
college,  for  the  benefit  of  their  community.  Considerable 
sums  have  already  been  subscribed  towards  it,  Imd  for  a 
new  thing  under  the  sun,  the  Legiiilature  of  Massachusetts 
very  lately  granted  th.em  a  township  of  unsettled  land,  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  forward  their  design.  This  \vas 
obtained  principally  by  the  means  of  Mr.  Merrill  of  Scdg- 
wick,  who  was  a  member  of  the  House  of  Assembly  at 
the  time. 


Increase  of  the  Baptists  excite  Resentment,         315 

CHAP.  X. 
NEW-HAMPSHIRE. 

THE  first  settlements  in  this  State  were  began  in  1623, 
only  three  years  after  the  fathers  of  New-England  landed 
at  Plymouth.  But  we  do  not  find  that  any  Baptists  were 
settled  here,  until  more  than  a  century  after.  The  oldest 
and  moit  distinguished  Baptist  establishmeats  in  New- 
Hampshire,  were  formed  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
State,  between  the  Merrimack  and  Piscataqua  rivers,  in 
the  counties  of  Rockingham  and  Strafford.  Not  far  from 
the  time  that  churches  began  to  be  gathered  here,  a  few 
were  raised  up  in  the  western  part  of  the  State,  along  the 
Connecticut  river,  in  the  counties  of  Cheshire  and  Graf- 
ton. The  tliird  group  of  chmxhcs  was  gathered  in  the 
county  of  Hillsborough,  which  lies,  for  the  most  part,  west 
of  the  Merrimack  river,  and  extends  from  the  southern 
line  of  tlie  State  far  up  into  its  middle  regions. 

But  one  church  was  formed  in  New-Hampshire,  pre- 
vious to  the  year  1770  ;  that  was  the  one  at  Newtown, 
which  was  gailitr^d  in  1755.  From  1770,  undl  1779, 
nine  other  churcl.es  were  planted.  From  this  period  they 
began  to  increase  with  great  rapidity,  so  that  nine  more 
were  established  in  the  year  1780. 

This  rapid  increase  of  the  Baptists  in  this  State  arous- 
ed the  jealousies  and  resentment  of  some  of  the  neigh- 
bouring Congregational  clergy,  to  such  a  degree,  that  one 
of  them  wrote  a  letter  against  them  the  next  year,  which 
he  published  in  one  of  the  Boston  papers.  This  invidi- 
ous and  arrogant  letter  contained  the  following  clause  : 
"  Alas  !  the  consequence  of  the  prevalence  of  this  sect  ! 
They  cause  divisions  every  where.  In  the  State  of  New- 
Hampshire,  where  there  are  many  new  towns,  infant  settle- 
ments, if  this  sect  gets  footing  among  them,  they  hinder, 
and  are  like  to  hinder,  their  settling  and  supporting  learn- 
ed, pious,  and  orthodox  ministers  ;  and  the  poor  inhabi- 
tants of  those  towns  must  live,  who  knows  how  long  ! 
without  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  and  gospel  ordinances. ''''^^ 
But  this  slanderous  epistle  had  but  little  effect  ;  the  Bap- 
tists still  continued  their  zealous  and  successful  exertions, 

•  Backus'  History  of  New-England,  vol.  III.  p.  278. 


316    Associations. . . .  First  Church.. . .  Church  in Ha'oer-hill. 

their  sentiments  prevailed,  and  their  churches  increased, 
so  that  by  the  year  1795,  there  were,  within  the  bounds  of 
New-Hannpshire,  41  churches,  30  ministers,  and  2562 
communicants,  and  these  churches  were  scattered  in  al- 
most every  part  of  the  State. 

From  the  last  mentioned  date  to  the  present  time,  the 
Baptist  sentiments  have  probably  prevailed  with  as  much 
lapidity  as  at  any  former  period-;  but  as^many  Baptist 
members  ha^•e  emigrated  to  other  States,  and  the  Free-will 
Baptists  (as  they  are  called)  having  of  late  years  proselyted 
many  to  their  communion,  and  divided  and  overrun  a 
number  of  the  Calvinistick  churches,  their  numbers,  which 
may  be  seen  in  the  table  at  the  end  of  this  work,  is  not  so 
great  as  it  might  otherwise  have  been.  A  number  of  the 
oldest  churches  in  this  State,  mentioned  by  Mr.  Backus 
in  his  Catalogue  for  1784,  have  either  become  extinct,  or 
exist  under  different  names. 

The  New-Hampshire,  the  Meredith,  the  Woodstock, 
and  Dublin  Associations,  are  all  of  them  either  partly  or 
wholly  in  this  State  ;  and  there  are  also  a  {^\v  churches  in 
this  State,  which  belong  to  the  Boston  and  Leyden  Asso- 
ciations in  Massachusetts,  and  those  of  Bane  and  Danville 
in  Vermont. 

Some  brief  sketches  of  the  history  of  these  Associations, 
and  of  some  of  their  most  distinguished  churches,  we  shall 
jiow  attempt  to  give. 

The  first  Baptist  church,  which  ever  existed  in  New- 
Hampshire,  was  gathered  at  Newtown  in  1755,  as  has 
already  been  mentioned.  Mr.  Backus,  who  must  be  our 
guide  in  most  of  the  following;  observations,  has  not  relat- 
ed, with  any  degree  of  precision,  tlie  circumstances  of  its 
origin.  This  omission,  in  that  scrutinizing  researcher, 
was,  doubtless,  for  the  want  of  materials.  He  merely  in. 
forms  us,  that  this  church  was  small  in  its  beginning, 
was  gathered  out  of  a  society  of  Separate  Pedo-baptists  in 
1755,  and  was  the  only  church  in  the  State  for  fifteen 
years.  He  also  states  that  Walter  Powers,  the  father  of 
the  present  Walter  Powers  of  Gilmantown,  was  ordained 
its  pastor  the  same  year  it  was  constituted,  that  it  increas- 
ed for  a  while  under  his  ministry,  and  then  fell  into  diffi- 
culties and  divisions,  which  interrupted  its  harmony,  and 
finally   terminated    in   its   dissolution.      Soon    after  the 


Story  of  Mrs,  Scammon.  317 

church  was  formed  at  Haverhill,  b)  Dr.  Hezekiah  Smith, 
which  was  only  seven  miles  oft',  a  number  of  members 
united  with  that  body,  and  the  Newtown  church  lay  waste 
until  1796,  ^vhen  it  was  revived  under  Mr,  Jolm  Peak, 
now  of  Newbury  port. 

But  long  before  the  Newtown  church  arose,  there  resid- 
ed at  some  distance  to  the  north  of  this  town,  a  woman, 
who,  after  living  forty  years  a  solitary  life,  as  to  comaia- 
nion  with  her  brethren,  was  finally  the  nieans  of  spread- 
ing the  Baptist  sentiments  in  this  part  of  the  State,  and  of 
laying  the  foundation  for  some  of  the  oldest  churches  in 
the  New-Hampshire  Association. 

The  story  of  this  remarkable  woman  is  thus  related  by 
Mr.  Backus  in  his  history  of  New-England,  Vol.  II. 
p.  265,  266. 

About  the  year  1720,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Scammon, 
of  Stratham,  on  Piscataqua  ri\  er,  married  Rachel  Thurber, 
of  Rehoboth,  Massachusetts,  and  removed  her  to  his  own 
town.  Mrs.  Scammon  was  a  woman  of  piety,  and  firmly 
and  understandingly  established  in  the  Baptist  principles. 
But  she  was  now  removed  at  a  distance  from  her  brethren, 
and  settled  in  a  place  u^here  the  Baptists  were  not  known, 
and  where  their  sentiments  were  not  named,  except  by 
way  of'  censure  and  reproach.  In  this  lonely  situation 
she  remained  most  of  her  days,  and  although  she  frequent- 
ly conversed  Avith  her  neighbours  respecting  the  proprie- 
ty of  her  peculiar  opinions,  yet  so  strong  were  their  pre- 
judices against  them,  that  for  the  space  of  forty  years  she 
gained  but  one  proselyte.  That  was  a  woman,  who  be- 
ing convinced  of  her  duty  repaired  to  Boston,  the  distance 
of  more  than  fifty  miles,  and  was  baptized  by  Elder 
Bound,  the  pastor  of  the  second  church  in  that  town. 

Mrs.  Scammon,  towards  the  close  of  her  life,  fell  in  with 
Norcott  on  Baptism.  The  arguments  in  that  little  work 
appeared  so  clear  and  convincing,  that  she  was  firmly  per- 
suaded they  would  have  an  enlightening  efiect  on  the 
minds  of  her  neighbours  and  friends,  if  they  could  be  pre- 
vailed upon  to  read  them.  She  accordingly  carried  the 
piece  to  Boston,  with  a  view  of  getting  it  reprinted.  But 
when  she  come  to  propose  the  matter  to  the  printer,  he 
r  informed  her  that  he  had  more  than  a  hundred  copies  of 
the  work  then  on  hand.     These  she  immediately  purch^s- 


318  JDr.  Shepard. . . .  Hezekidi  Smitli. 

ed,  carried  dum  home,  and  distributed  them  around  her 
neighbourhood,  to  all  who  would  accept  of  them.  She, 
Iiovvever,  did  not  live  to  see  much  of  the  fruits  of  her  be- 
nevolence and  zeal  ;  but  she  used  often  to  say  to  her 
neighbours,  that  she  \\'as  fully  persuaded  that  a  Baptist 
church  would  arise  in  Stratham,  although  she  might  not 
live  to  see  it.  And  so  it  happened  that  a  Baptist  church 
actually  arose  there  soon  after  her  death,  and  others  were 
gathered  in  different  parts  of  the  country  not  long  after, 
and  the  light  which  was  reflected  from  Norcott's  little 
book,  which  this  pious  lady  had  dispersed  abroad,  was  the 
means  cither  directly  or  indirectly  of  producing  them. 

"  Thus,"  says  Mr.  Backus,  "  Mrs.  Scammon's  bread, 
cast  upon  the  water,  seems  to  have  been  found  after  many 
days  ;  the  books  which  she  freely  dispersed,  being  picked 
up,  and  made  useful  to  many." 

The  most  remarkable  instance  of  this  kind,  was  in  the 
case  of  Samuel,  generally  distinguished  by  the  title  of  Dr. 
Shepard,  who  has  long  been  extensively  known  as  an  emi- 
nent preacher  amongst  the  Baptists,  in  this  part  of  Neu- 
Hampshire.  He  was,  at  this  time,  a  young  man,  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  physick,  and  being  at  the  house  of  one  of 
his  patients,  he  took  up  one  of  the  little  books  above-men- 
tioned ;  and  on  reading  it  through,  he  found  his  mind 
much  impressed  with  the  force  of  the  sentiments  which  it 
advocated.  He  had  been  converted  when  very  young, 
but  remained  in  the  Pedobaptist  connexion.  But  the 
light,  which  he  now  received,  increased,  until  he  was 
brought  fully  to  embrace  the  Baptist  sentiments  ;  and  in  a 
short  time  became  a  Baptist  minister,  and  besides  all  his 
other  labours,  planted  a  church  in  Brentwood,  which  now 
contains  almost  seven  hundred  members. 

About  the  time  of  Mrs.  Scammon's  death,  a  revival 
commenced  in  this  part  of  New-Hampshire,  which  pre- 
vailed to  a  considerable  extent,  and  many  Avere  led  to  cm- 
brace  the  Baptist  sentiments. 

Dr.  Smith  was  now  setdcd  in  Haverhill,  near  the  bor- 
ders of  New-Hampshire.  He  frequently  made  excursions 
into  this  State,  and  zealously  engaged  in  the  work,  which 
was  then  going  on,  and  by  the  eloquence  of  his  preaching, 
and  the  weight  of  his  character,  bore  down  the  strong  pre- 
judices against  the  Baptists,  and  was  the  me%ns  of  abun- 


Nev3-Hampshire  Association.  319 

dantly  extending  their  cause.  During  one  week,  in  June, 
1770,  Mr.  Smith  baptized  thirty-eight  persons,  who  be- 
longed mostly  to  Nottingham,  Brentwood,  and  Stratham. 
Among  this  number  ^verc  a  Congregational  minister,  two 
deacons,  and  the  majority  of  a  Congregational  church. 
This  minister's  name  was  Eliphalet  Smith  ;  he  was  the 
pastor  of  a  Congregational  church  in  a  part  of  Nottingham, 
called  Deerfield.  In  this  place  a  Baptist  church  was  form- 
ed s<jon  after  this  great  baptism,  and  Mr.  Eliphalet 
Smith  was  ordained  their  pastor,  who  after  continuing  with 
them  a  number  of  years,  removed  to  the  county  of  Lincoln, 
in  the  District  of  Maine,  and  the  church,  I  conclude,  is 
now  included  in  that  of  Brentwood.  Dr.  Shepard  was 
one  of  the  number  baptized  by  Dr.  Smitii,  in  this  excur- 
sion ;  he  began  to  preach  soon  after,  and  was  ordaued 
at  Stratham,  the  next  year,  by  Drs.  Stillman  of  Boston, 
Smith  of  Haverhill,  and  Manning  of  Providence. 

The  church  at  Deerfield,  we  have  already  observed, 
was  formed  in  1770  ;  a  church  was  planted  in  Stratham 
the  same  year,  and  those  in  Brentwood  and  Nottingham 
v.ere  gathered  the  year  after.  Thus  in  a  very  short  time 
after  Mrs.  Scammon's  death,  four  Baptist  churches  were 
formed,  and  the  Baptists  had  become  numerous  in  these 
parts.  If  it  be  a  fact  that  the  angels  inform  the  inhab- 
itants of  heaven,  of  ihe  prosperity  of  Zion  on  earth,  what 
joyful  tidings  must  they  have  carried  to  this  once  mourn- 
ing and  anxious,  but  now  glorified  spirit. 

The  remaining  part  of  the  history  of  New- Hampshire, 
we  shall  now  exhibit  under  tiie  heads  of  the  Associations 
w  hich  it  contains. 

N  E  W-H  A  M  PSH  IRE     A  S  S  0  C  I A  T  lOX . 

This  body  was  begun  under  the  name  of  a  Conference, 
in  1776,  and  did  not  assume  the  name  and  standing  of  an 
Association,  until  1785.  The  churches  of  whicii  this 
Conference  was  at  first  composed,  were  tliose  of  Brent- 
wood, Berwick  and  Sanford  ;  the  two  last  were  in  the 
District  of  Maine.  Dr.  Shepard  and  \v' illiam  Hooper, 
then  of  Berwick,  now  of  Madbury,  were  the  principal 
promoters  of  this  litde  Association.  At  their  first  inter- 
\iew,  they  were  visited  by  Mr.  Backus,  the  histoiian,  who 
was   then  travelling  through   the    country.       This   bmali 


320  Brcfitwood  Church, 

community  soon  began  to  increase  ;  some  churches, 
which  had  been  formed  before  they  began  to  associate, 
soon  fell  in  with  them,  others  were  raised  up  soon  after, 
and  united  \\\\.h.  them  in  their  progress,  and  in  a  harmonious 
and  prosperous  manner,  they  have  travelled  on  from  their 
beginning  to  the  present  time.  And  although  their  num- 
ber has,  at  various  times,  been  diminished  by  different 
causes,  yet  they  remain,  in  some  measure,  a  large,  and  in 
every  sense,  a  respectable  body. 

From  the  beginning  of  this  Association  some  of  its 
churches  u  ere  in  the  District  of  Maine,  and  in  that  Dis- 
trict, a  considerable  portion  of  them  have  ever  been,  and 
are  still  situated.  Some  account  of  these  churches  has 
already  been  2:1  ven. 

Of  those  churches  in  this  Association  which  are  situat- 
ed in  New- Hampshire,  the  one  called  Brentwood  is  by 
far  the  largest,  and  in  many  respects,  the  most  distin- 
guished ;  and,  indeed,  this  is  the  only  church  in  this  re- 
gion, of  which  I  ha\e  been  able  to  collect  any  historical 
sketches,  of  any  considerable  importance. 

Brentwood  is  in  the  county  of  Rockingham,  about 
twenty  miles  west\A'ard  of  Portsmouth.  The  church  here 
was  organized  in  May  1771,  \\ith  only  thirteen  members  ; 
but  it  has  now  increased  to  almost  seven  hundred.  This 
great  increase  has  been  partly  by  means  of  revivals  with 
which  this  body  has  been  favoured  in  a  remarkable  man- 
ner, and  partly  by  collecting  in  its  fold  other  churches, 
and  the  broken  rentains  of  other  churches  hi  its  vicinity, 
some  of  which  had  been  formed  before  it. 

The  Brentwood  church  at  present,  comprehends  all 
the  Baptists  throughout  an  extensive  circle  around  it  ; 
and  consists,  besides  the  main  establishment  at  Brent- 
wood, where  Dr.  Shepard  resides,  of  five  other  branches, 
which  are  distinguished  by  the  names  of  Epping,  Lee  and 
Nottingham,  Hawke  and  Hampstead,  North  wood,  and  Sal- 
isbury. These  branches  extend  over  a  territory,  whose  di- 
ameter is  upwards  of  thirty  miles,  and  whose  circumference, 
of  course,  is  not  far  from  a  hundred.  They  are  mostly 
supplied  with  preachers,  and  all  of  them  enjoy  the  pri\i- 
leges,  and  exercise,  in  some  measure,  the  power  of  distinct 
churches.  B  entv/ood  is  their  Jerusalem,  to  which  they 
frequently  repair.     Here,  like  a  bishop,  in  the  midst  of 


Br.  Shepard.  321 

his  diocess,  resides  the  venerable  elder,  who  is  considered 
as  the  pastor  of  this  extensive  flock,  and  who,  in  his  active 
days,  spent  much  of  his  time  in  visitin^r  anions^  them, 
and  whose  popularity  has  probably  been  the  means  of 
collecting'  this  extensive  and  unwieldy  body,  this  church 
of  churches,  whose  affairs  must  certainly  be  managed  with 
peculiar  inconvenience. 

This  wide  spread  church,  not  long  since,  projected  a 
plan  of  becoming  an  association  by  itself.  This  plan  has 
not  yet  been  carried  into  effect,  and  it  would  eertainl}-  be  a 
preposterous  measure.  For  what  is  an  association,  accord- 
ing to  the  Baptist  phraseology,  but  an  assembly  of  churches  ? 
But  the  Brentwood  church  proposes  to  associate  with  itself. 

This  church,  from  its  various  branches,  has  sent  forth  a 
considerable  number  of  preachers,  and  among  them  was 
Joshua  Smith,  the  author  of  a  little  hymn  book,  which  has 
been  much  esteemed,  and  had  an  extensive  circulation. 
This  worthy  minister,  after  labouring  much,  with  good 
success  in  various  places,  died  with  a  consumption  in 
1795.^ 

As  Dr.  Shepard,  the  founder,  father  and  pastor  of  this 
extensive  community,  is  now  apparendy  just  upon  the 
verge  of  time,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  give  some  sketch- 
es of  his  character.  He  was  born  at  Salisbury,  Massachu- 
setts, near  Newbury  port,  in  1739.  Some  account  of  his 
early  life,  until  he  engaged  i!i  the  ministry,  has  already 
been  given.  For  many  years  after  he  began  his  ministeri- 
al course,  his  labours  were  abundant  and  remarkably  suc- 
cessful;  and,  indeed,  he  has  never  been  idle  in  the  Lord's 
vineyard.  For  besides  his  labours  in  the  ministry,  he  has 
continued  more  or  less  through  life,  to  exercise  the  func- 
tions of  his  medical  profession,  and  he  has  also  been  the 
author  of  a  number  of  little  works,  which  we  shall  mention 
at  the  close  of  this  account.  The  calls  of  his  profession, 
and  the  extensiveness  of  his  flock,  made  it  necessary  for 
him  almost  incessantly  to  lead  an  irin.erant  life.  The 
reader  may  form  some  idea  of  the  extent  and  success  of 
the  labours  of  this  emiiient  minister,  from  the  following 
letter,  which  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Backus  in  1781. 

*  His  Excellency  William  Pliimer,  Esq.  Governor  of  New-Hampshire, 
wlio  lives  in  Eppinff,  was  formerly  a  minister  in  this  church, 

VOL.    I.  41 


322        Extract  from  one  of  Dr.  Shepard^s  Letters. 

*'  I  rejoice,  Sir,  to  hear,  that  in  the  midst  of  judgment, 
God  is  remembering  mercy,  and  calling  in  his  elect,  from 
east  to  west.  You  have  refreshed  my  mind  with  good 
news  from  the  west  and  south,  and  in  return  I  will  inform 
5^ou  of  good  news  from  the  north  and  east.  Some  hun- 
dreds of  souls  are  hopefully  converted  in  the  counties  of 
Rockingham,  Straflbrd,  and  Grafton,  in  New-Hampshire, 
within  about  a  year  past.  In  the  last  journey  I  went  be- 
fore my  beloved  wife  was  taken  from  me,  I  baptized  sev- 
enty-two men,  women,  and  some  that  may  properly  be 
called  children,  who  confessed  with  their  mouths  the  sal- 
vation God  had  wrought  in  their  hearts,  to  good  satisfac- 
tion, Meredith,  in  Straftbrd,  has  a  church  gathered  the 
year  past,  consisting  of  between  sixty  and  seventy  mem- 
bers. I  baptized  forty  three  in  that  town  in  one  day,  and 
such  a  solemn  weeping  of  the  multitude  on  the  shore,  I 
never  before  saw.  The  ordinance  of  baptism  appeared  to 
carry  universal  conviction  through  them,  even  to  a  man. 
The  wife,  Mhen  she  saw  her  husband  going  foru'ard,  began 
to  weep,  to  think  she  was  not  worthy  to  go  with  him  ;  in 
like  manner  the  husband  the  wife,  the  parent  the  child, 
the  children  the  parent ;  that  the  lamentation  and  weeping, 
methinks,  may  be  compared  to  the  inhabitants  of  Hada- 
drimmon,  in  the  valley  of  Magiddon.  Canterbury,  in 
Rockingham  county,  has  two  Baptist  churches  gathered  in 
the  year  past,  one  in  the  parish  of  Northfield ;  the  number 
I  cannot  tell,  but  it  is  considerably  large.  I  baptized 
thirty- one  there,  and  a  number  have  been  baptized  since 
by  others.  The  other  is  in  the  parish  of  Loudon,  in  said 
Canterbury,  containing  above  one  hundred  members. 
Another  church,  of  about  fifty  members,  is  gathered  in 
Chichester  ;  another  in  Barrington,  consisting  of  a  goodly 
number,  and  one  in  Hubbardston,  all  three  in  Strafford 
county.  Two  churches  in  Grafton  county,  one  in  Hold- 
erness,  the  other  in  Rumney.  The  church  in  Rumney 
had  one  Haines  ordained  last  August,  much  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  people.  All  these  seven  churches  have  been 
gathered  in  about  a  year  past.  One  church  was  gathered 
last  fall  in  Wells,  over  which  brother  Nathaniel  Lord,  late 
of  Berwick,  is  ordained.  There  appears  to  be  a  general 
increase  of  the  Baptist  principles,  through  all  the  eastern 
parts  of  New-England." 


Dr.  Shepard's  M^ritings..,. Meredith  Associatioii.     32S 

For  the  want  of  sufficient  materials,  and  a  niore  intimate 
acquaintance,  I  must  forbear  pursuing  the  biography  of 
this  distinguished  servant  of  Christ.     His  writings  are, 

1st.  A  Scriptural  Inquiry  respecting  the  ordinance  of 
water  baptism.  This  piece  was  answered  at  different 
times,  bv  three  Pedobaptist  ministers. 

2d.  A  Reply  to  these  answers  in  defence  of  the 
Inquiry,  &c. 

3d.  A  Scriptural  Inquiry  concerning  what  the  Friends 
or  Quakers  call  spiritual  baptism.  Being  an  answer  to  a 
work,  published  by  Moses  Brown,  of  Providence,  Rhode 
Island. 

4th.  The  Principle  of  Universal  Salvation,  examined 
and  tried  by  the  Law  and  Testimony. 

5th.  An  Examination  of  lilias  Smith's  two  pam- 
phlets, respecting  original  sin,  the  death  Adam  was  to  die 
the  day  he  eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  the  final  annihi- 
lation of  the  wicked. 

It  \^'ouId  doubtless  be  gratifying  to  the  members  of  this 
Association,  to  read  some  historical  sketches  of  a  number 
of  remaining  very  respectable  churches;  but  as  no  ade- 
quate materiius  have  been  received  from  them,  what  has 
already  been  said,  must  suffice  for  its  history.  It  may, 
however,  be  proper  to  observe,  respecting  its  boundaries, 
that  it  extends  along  the  sea  coast  about  eighty  miles, 
from  about  twenty  miles  west  of  Portsinouth,  in  New- 
Hampshire,  almost  to  Portland  in  the  District  of  Maine, 
where  it  meets  the  Cumberland  Association.  The 
churches  extend  back  from  the  sea  coast  generally  about 
sixty  miles. 

MEREDITH    ASSOCIATION. 

This  body  was  formed  in  1789.  It  was  small  at  first, 
and  for  some  cause  has  never  appeared  to  enjoy  much 
prosperity  or  enlargement.  It  has,  however,  at  different 
times,  contained  almost  twice  as  many  churches  as  it  does 
at  present.  Some  of  the  churches,  which  formerly  belong- 
ed to  it,  have  united  with  the  Woodstock  and  Barre  As- 
sociations, and  others  have  been  overrun  by  the  Free-will 
Baptists,  who  have  now  become  numerous  in  its  vicinity. 

The  town  of  Meredith  from  which  this  Association  re- 
ceived its  name,  is  in  the  county  of  Strafford,  on  the  west 


323       Meredith^  SandborntonandRumney  Churches. 

side  of  Winnipisseogee  lake,  fifteen  miles  north  of 
Gilmanton,  and  seventy  north-west  of  Portsmouth.  The 
church  here,  which  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  this  body,  was 
gathered  in  178Q,  when  Dr.  Shepard,  of  Brentwood,  bap- 
tized forty-four  persons  in  one  day.  Mr.  Nicholas  Fol- 
som,  who  went  from  Brentwood,  was  ordained  the  pastor 
of  this  church  in  1782  ;  and  in  that  office,  though  far  ad- 
vanced in  age,  he  still  continues.  This  venerable  elder 
has  long  been  considered  the  father  of  this  little  Associa- 
tion. 

The  church  in  Sandbornton  is  also  one  of  the  oldest  in 
this  body;  it  was  formed  in  1780.  Mr.  John  Crockett, 
their  present  pastor,  was  settled  among  them  in  1794. 

The  churcli  in  Rumney,  in  the  county  of  Grafton,  was. 
also  formed  in  1780.  Mr.  Cotton  Haines  was  their  first 
pastor,  but  he  was,  not  long  after,  rejected  from  the  fel- 
lowship of  the  B:iptists.  Under  the  ministry  of  Mr. 
Ezra  Willmarth,  lately  pastor  of  this  church,  it  ex- 
perienced a  great  revival;  in  1811,  it  received  the 
addition  of  about  one  hundred  and  forty  members,  which 
increased  its  \Wiole  number  to  upwards  of  three  hundred. 
Rev.  Peletiah  Chapin,  formerly  a  Congregational  minister, 
was  baptized  in  this  place,  by  Mr.  Willmarth,  in  1806.  He 
received  Baptist  ordination  immediately  after,  and  is  now 
preaching  some  where  in  this  region,  to  good  acceptance. 

DUBLIN    ASSOCIATION. 

This  litde  body  was  organized  as  an  Association  in 
1809,  in  the  town  from  which  it  received  its  name,  which 
is  in  the  county  of  Cheshire,  upwards  of  sixty  miles  west 
of  Portsmouth,  and  near  the  southern  borders  of  New- 
Hampshire.  It  consisted,  at  the  time  of  its  formation,  of 
six  churches,  which  were  dismissed  from  the  Woodstock 
Association. 

The  churches  of  Temple,  Mason,  and  Dublin,  are  die 
oldest  in  this  community,  and  were  among  the  first,  which 
were  formed  in  this  part  of  the  State.  'The  first  of  these 
bodies  is  now  destitute  of  a  pastor,  but  the  other  two  arc 
supplied  by  Elders  William  Elliot,  and  Elijah  Willard. 
These  two  ministers  have  been  labouring  with  good  suc- 
cess in  this  part  of  the  vineyard  for  many  years,  and  they 
are  now  the  only  ordained  preachers  in  this  Association. 


Ministers  settled. . . .  Missionaries.  325 

This  Association  is  situated  in  the  southern  parts  of  the 
counties  of  Hillsborough  and  Cheshire. 


On  the  western  side  of  New -Hampshire,  along  the  Con- 
necticut river,  and  extending  some  distance  back  in  the 
country,  is  a  large  group  of  very  respectable  churches, 
which  are  supplied  by  a  number  of  eminent  ministers. 
These  churches  mostly  belong  to  the  Woodstock  Associ- 
ation;  and,  indeed,  they  compose  about  half  of  that  body, 
and  some  of  them  are  almost  as  old  as  any  in  New-Hamp- 
shire. 

We  shall  now  attempt  to  give  some  general  account  of 
the  beginning  of  the  Baptists  in  this  region,  and  then  pro- 
ceed to  some  historical  sketches  of  a  few  individual 
churches. 

About  the  year  1770,  and  during  a  few  succeeding 
years,  a  consideiable  number  of  Baptist  brethren,  and  some 
ministers  of  the  denomination,  removed  from  different 
parts  of  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  and  some  from 
other  parts,  and  -settled  along  the  western  side  of  New- 
Hampshire,  in  the  counties  of  Cheshire  and  Grafton,  on, 
and  at  no  great  distance  from,  Connecticut  River,  which 
divides  this  State  from  Vermont. 

Some  of  the  ministers,  who  settled  in  this  region,  were 
!Matturin  Ballon,  Ebenezer  Builey,  Jedidiah  Hibbard, 
Eleazer  Beckwith,  Thomas  Baldwin,  now  of  Boston., 
Isaac  Kenny,  8cc.  The  oldest  churches,  along  or  near  to 
the  ri\er,  are  those  of  Richmond,  Westmoreland,  Marlow^j 
and  Newport. 

In  1779,  Elders  Job  Seamans,  of  Attleborough,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  Biel  Ledoyt,  of  W^oodstock,  Connecticut, 
were  appointed  by  the  Warren  Association,  to  travel,  and 
spend  a  few  W'Ceks  in  pre  iching  in  these  new  and  destitute 
plantations.  Their  appointment  was  in  consequence  of 
an  affecting  letter  from  Mr.  Caleb  Blood,  who  was  at  that 
time  preaching  at  Marlow.  Mr.  Biood  informed  his  breth- 
ren of  the  destitute  situation  of  the  people  around  him,  and 
earnestly  entreated  the  Association  to  send  some  minister- 
ing brethren  over  into  this  Macedonia  to  help  him.  Messrs. 
Seamans  and  Ledoyt  were  selected  for  the  mission,  w  hich 
they  performed  in  1779.  In  their  journey,  they  travelled 
up  the  Connecticut  river  as  far  as  Woodstock,  in  Ver- 


326  Richmond^  Hinsdale,  and  Chesterfield. 

mont,  before  the  church  was  raised  in  that  place  ;  they 
preached  both  sides  of  the  river,  but  mostly  on  the  New- 
Hampshire  side  ;  their  coming  was  refreshing  to  the 
hearts  of  many,  and  an  evident  blessing  followed  their  zeal- 
ous and  evangelical  labours.  Both  of  these  ministers  af- 
terwards removed  to  this  State,  and  settled  not  far  from 
the  scene  of  their  labours  in  this  missionary  excursion. 
Mr.  Ledoyt,  who  setded  in  Newport,  has  returned  to 
Woodstock,  in  Connecticut,  where  he  was  settled  before 
his  removal  hither,  but  Mr.  Seamans  still  remains  at  New- 
London,  the  aged  and  much  respected  pastor  of  the  large 
and  flourishing  church  which  was  planted,  and  which  hath 
been  built  up  under  his  ministry. 

A  number  of  ministers,  whose  names  ought  to  be  men- 
tioned vvith  respect,  have  settled  on  this  side  of  New- 
Hampshire,  still  later  than  those  we  have  already  named. 
Among  these  are  Jeremiah  Higbee,  Ariel  Kendrick,  Jo- 
seph Wheat,  Thomas  Brown,  Nathan  Leonard,  and  Jo- 
seph Elliot. 

Near  the  southwest  corner  of  this  State  are  two  church- 
es belonging  to  the  Leyden  Association,  one  of  them  is 
called  Richmond,  and  the  other  Hinsdale  and  Chesterfield. 
The  Richmond  church  was  formed  in  1770,  and  the  same 
jear,  Mr.  Matturin  Ballou  was  ordained  their  pastor. 
The  next  year  they  joined  the  Warren  Association,  and 
continued  in  connexion  with  that  body  a  great  number 
of  years.  This  church  has  passed  through  a  variety  of 
scenes,  both  prosperous  and  adverse.  For  a  number  of 
years  they  were  harassed  with  ministerial  taxes.  In  1780, 
they  experienced  a  revival,  by  which  more  than  forty 
members  were  added.  But  soon  after  this  joyful  event, 
a  division  ensued,  and  another  church  was  formed,  and 
Artemas  Aldrich  was  ordained  as  its  pastor.  In  1790, 
these  churches,  which  had  long  been  low  and  in  broken  cir- 
cumstances, were  refreshed  by  a  copious  shower  of  divine 
grace,  and  in  the  course  of  two  years,  upwards  of  a  hun- 
dred members  wcfc  added  ;  the  two  churches  laid  aside 
their  bickerings  and  united  as  one  ;  their  two  form.er  pas- 
tors were  dismissed,  and  Mr.  Isaac  Kenny  was  ordained 
to  the  pastoral  care  of  the  united  body.  How  matters 
have  been  with  them,  from  the  last  mentioned  period,  to 
the  present  time,  I  have  learot  no  more,  than  that  they,  at 


ffestTnoreiandy  Lebanon,  Canaan  afid  Grafton.      327 

present,  are  reduced  to  a  small  number,  and  are  destitute 
of  a  pastor. 

The  church  at  Hinsdale  and  Chesterfield  has,  for  its 
pastor,  a  young  man,  by  the  name  of  Joseph  Elliot,  a  son 
of  William  Elliot  of  Mason. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  give  some  brief  sketches  of 
a  few  of  the  churches  on  the  west  side  of  New-Hamp- 
shire, which  belong  to  the  Woodstock  Association. 

The  church  in  Westmoreland  being  the  oldest,  demands 
our  first  attention.  Westmoreland  is  on  the  east  bank  of 
Connecticut  river,  in  Cheshire  county,  direcdy  opposite 
Putney  in  Vermont.  Many  of  the  first  settlers  in  the 
town,  removed  from  Mr.  Backus'  congregation  in  Middle- 
borough.  The  church  here  was  formed  in  1771.  Mr. 
Ebenezer  Bailey  was  its  first  pastor  ;  he  was  ordained 
among  them  about  two  years  after  they  were  constituted, 
and  continued  with  them  until  a  few  years  past.  But  he 
has  now  become  a  member  of  the  church  in  Alstead,  and 
is  succeeded  in  the  pastoral  office  by  Mr.  Nathan  Leonard. 

The  same  year  the  church  in  Westmoreland  was  form- 
ed, there  was  one  gathered  in  Lebanon,  a  town  in  Graf- 
ton county,  which  also  lies  on  the  river,  but  a  few  miles 
below  Dartmouth  College.  Mr.  Jedidiah  Hibbard  was 
ordained  the  pastor  of  this  church  not  long  after  it  was 
formed,  and  continued  in  that  office  until  1784,  when  he 
removed  from  them.  Soon  after  he  left  them,  the  church 
was  so  much  reduced  by  the  removal  of  others,  that,  in  a 
few  years,  it  became  extinct. 

In  this  county  are  also  two  churches  of  considerable 
age,  distinguished  by  the  names  of  Canaan  and  Grafton. 
The  first  was  formed  in  1783,  and  was,  for  a  number  of 
years,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Dr.  Baldwin  ;  the  other 
\vas  gathered  in  1785  ;  its  first  pastor  was  Oliver  Wil- 
liams, who  died  among  them  in  1790.  He  was  from 
Rhode-Island,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  descendant 
of  the  famous  Roger  Williams,  the  founder  of  that  State. 
This  church  is  now  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Joseph  Wheat. 
The  church  in  Marlow  was  formed  in  1777.  Mr. 
Eleazer  Beckwith  was  its  pastor  many  years.  He,  and 
many  of  the  members  of  the  church,  removed  from  Lyme, 
in  Connecticut.  In  this  church,  Mr.  Caleb  Blood,  who 
was  afterwards  in  Shaftsbury,  then  in  Boston,  and  now  in 


328     Newport. . . .  Extract  of  a  Letter. . . .  Neiu-  London, 

Portland,  was  ordained.  This  has,  at  times,  been  a  large 
and  flourishing  body.  In  1790,  it  contained  almost  two 
hundred  members  ;  but  it  has  now  become  so  much  re- 
duced, that  it  has  almost,  if  not  entirely  lost  its  visibility 
as  a  church. 

The  church,  which  is  now  called  Newport,  according 
to  Mr.  Backus,  was  first  established  in  Croydon,  a  neigh- 
bouring town,  in  1778.  But  in  1790,  the  brethren  here 
united  with  those  in  Newport,  and  settltd  among  them 
Mr.  Biel  Ledoyt,  from  Woodstock,  Connecticut,  whose 
name  has,  not  long  since,  been  mentioned.  From  that 
period  the  church  has  been  known  by  the  name  of  New- 
port, which  name  suggests,  that  some  of  its  first  settlers 
removed  from  one  of  the  principal  towns  in  Rhode-Island. 
Mr.  Ledoyt  resided  here  about  fourteen  years,  and  then 
returned  again  to  Woodstock.  While  resident  in  New- 
port, he  prosecuted  his  ministry  with  that  evangelical  ar- 
dour, for  which  he  has,  from  the  commencement  of  it, 
been  peculiarly  distinguished,  and  he  had  the  happiness  of 
seeing  that  his  labours  were  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  In 
1793,  he  thus  wrote  to  a  friend:  "  It  hath  been  a  long, 
dark,  and  cloudy  night  with  me  and  the  people  here  ;  but 
glory  to  our  God,  the  cloud  is  dispersing  last.  His  work 
is  begun  among  us.  Newport  and  Croydon  are  greatly 
blest.  There  have  been  forty  souls  hopefully  converted 
in  a  few  weeks  among  us.  I  have  baptized  twenty-nine 
in  four  weeks.  The  work  appears  still  going  on.  I  can- 
not be  idle,  it  is  out  of  my  power  to  answer  all  the  calls  I 
have  at  this  time  ;  but  1  endeavour  to  do  all  I  can.  Being 
favoured  with  health,  and  the  spirit  of  preaching,  I  ascend 
the  mountains  easy.  There  is  a  prospect  of  a  glorious 
reformation  in  these  parts.  O  may  it  spread  far  and  wide ! 
God  hath  remembered  my  family  also  for  good  ;  my  three 
eldest  daughters,  I  hope,  are  con\erted  ;  the  oldest  seven- 
teen years,  and  the  youngest  ten  years  old,  are  baptized." 

New-London.  This  church  is  in  the  northwest  corner 
of  the  county  of  Hillsborough,  about  twenty  miles  east  of 
Connecticut  river.  It  v»as  planted  in  1788,  by  Mr.  Job 
Seamans,  v\  ho  still  remains  its  aged  and  much  respected 
pastor.  Mr.  Seamans  was  born  in  Swansea,  Massachu- 
setts, in  1748.  He  was  one  of  the  company,  which  went 
to   Nova- Scotia,    with   Elder  Nathan   Mason,    in    1763. 


Extract  of  a  Letter.  329 

Here  he  was  converted  and  began  to  preach.     After  his 
return  he  became  pastor  of  the  church  in  Attleborough, 
in  his  native  State,  now  under  the  care  of  Mr.  James  Read, 
in  which  station  he  continued  fourteen  years.     From  this 
place  he  removed  to  his  present  residence,  when  the  coun- 
try was  very  new,  and  much  uncultivated  in  every  respect. 
Here  he  soon  planted  a  little  church,   which   immediately 
began  to  increase,  and  has  now  arisen  to  a  large  and  flour- 
ishing body.     Mr.  Seamans  has  had  the  happiness  of  wit- 
nessing, in  this   field  of  his  labours,   many   precious  and 
extensive  revivals.     A  work  broke   out  among  his  people 
in  1792,  of  which  he  gave  the  following  account  in  a  let- 
ter to  Mr,    Backus  :    "  This  town  consists  of  about  fifty- 
families,  and  I  hope  that  betv/cen  forty  and  fifty  souls  have 
been  translated  out  of  darkness  into  God's  marvellous  light, 
in  this  town,  besides  a  number  in  Sutton  and  Fishersfield, 
who  congregate   with  us.      Fifteen  have  been  baptized, 
and  joined  to  the  church,  and  I  expect  that  a  number  more 
will  come  forward  in   a  short  time.     Indeed,   I  know  not 
of  one  of  them  but  what  is  likely  to  submit  to  gospel  or- 
der, nor  one  person  in  the  town,  who  stands  in  any  con- 
siderable opposition.       We  have  lectures  or  conferences 
almost  every  day    or  evening  in  the   week.      Our  very- 
children  meet  together  to  converse  and  pray  with  each 
other  ;   and  I  believe  I  may  safely  say,  that  our  young  peo- 
ple were  never  a  quarter  so  much  engaged  in  frolicking,  as 
they  now  are  in  the  great  concerns  of  the  soul  and  eternity. 
Some  things  in  this  work    have  exceeded  every  thing  I 
ever  saw  before.      Their  convictions  have  usually  been 
very  clear  and  powerful,   so  that  industrious  men  and  ^vo- 
men  have  had  neither  inclination   nor  strength  to   follow 
their  business  as  usual.      And  they  freely  acknowledge 
the  justice  and  sovereignty  of  God.     They  also  have  de- 
sires beyond  what  I  have  ever  before  known,  for  the  uni- 
versal out-pouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit."     This  letter  was 
W'-ritten  in   1793.      This  work  progressed  so  fast,  that  by 
the  next  year,  the  church,  which,  at  its  commencement, 
consisted  of  only  eighteen  members,  had  increased  to  a 
hundred   and   fifteen.      Some  of  all  ages,    from   seventy 
down  to  eight  years  old,  had  been  brought  in  ;  and  what 

VOL.  I.  42 


330  Cornish^  Alstead^  Weare,  Nevo-Boston, 

'A'as  remarkable,  there  were,   at  that  time,  in  this  church, 
thirty  seven  men  and  their  wives.* 

Another  revival,  which  prevailed  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, took  place  among  this  people,  but  a  few  years  ago. 

Our  limits  forbid  us  to  make  any  particular  mention  of 
but  two  more  of  this  cluster  of  churches,  and  of  these  we 
can  give  but  very  brief  accounts.  These  churches  are 
Cornish  and  Alstcad,  both  in  the  county  of  Cheshire. 

The  town  of  Cornish  is  on  Connecticut  river,  directly 
opposite  Windsor  in  Vermont.  In  this  town  a  church 
was  established  in  1788.  Mr.  Jedidiah  Hibbard  was  pas- 
tor of  it  some  years  after  he  left  Grafton,  but  it  is  now  sup- 
plied by  Mr.  Ariel  Kendrick,  and  is  a  large  and  respecta- 
ble body. 

Alstead  is  situated  still  lower  down  the  river,  eight 
miles  below  Cliarlestovvn,  formerly  called  No.  4.  The 
church  was  formed  here  in  1790  of  fifteen  members,  but 
it  hgs  now  increased  to  about  a  hundred  and  fifty.  Its 
pastor  is  Jeremiah  Higbee,  a  nati^'e  of  Middletown,  Con- 
necticut, who  was  ordained  among  them  in  1794. 

In  the  county  of  Hillsborough,   and  towards  the  lower 
part  of  this  State,   are  three  churches  which  formerly  be- 
longed to  the   Warren,    but  now  to  the  Boston  Associa- 
tion.    These  churches  are  distinguished  by  the  name  of 
Weare,    New-Boston,     and    Nottingham- West.       The 
church  at  Weare  was  formed  in  1768.     An  account  of  its 
origin  and  early  progress  I  have  not  obtained  ;    but  about 
1787,   Mr.  Amos  Wood,   who  was  educated  at  Rhode- 
Island  college,  was  ordained  among  them,   and   continued 
their  pastor  until  his  death.     Mr.  \Vood  was  a  minister  of 
considerable  eminence  and  usel'ulness,  and  under  his  min- 
istry this  church   became  a  large  and  respectable  body. 
But  since  his  death,  it  has,  for  the  most  part,  been  desti- 
tute of  preaching,  and  in  other  respects  in  a  tried  and  brok- 
en situation.      But  lately,  they    were    supplied,    a    part 
of  the  time,  by  a  young  man,   by  the  name  of  Evans,  from 
the  church  in  Reading,   near  Boston,  and   their  circum- 
stances became  more  comfortable  and  prosperous.      The 
cluirch  is  now  under  the  care  of  Elder  Ezra  Willmarth. 

Respecting  the  church  in  New-Boston,    I  have  obtained 
DO  historical  sketches.     It  has  not,  however,  been  formed 

*  Backus'  History,  Vol.  111.  p.  284,  285, 


Nottingham-  IFest. . . .  Remnants  of  Churches.        331 

many  j'cars,  and  it  is  now  under  the  pastoral  care  of  a 
very  worthy  minister,  whose  name  is  Isaiah  Stone,  who 
v\^s  once  at  Dummerston,  in  Vermont. 

The  church  in  Nottingham- West  was  formed  in  1805. 
It  is  said  to  owe  its  origin  to  the  labours  of  Mr.  Daniel 
Merrill,  wow  of  Sedgwick,  Maine,  while  he  was  a  Pedo- 
baptist  minister.  In  the  winter  of  1793,  Mr.  Merrill 
sjjent  a  number  of  months  in  this  place.  A  revival  com- 
menced under  his  ministry,  in  which  about  thirty  were 
hopefully  converted,  and  professed  religion,  at  that  time, 
in  the  Pedobaptist  connexion.  But  most  of  them  became 
Bapiists  afterwards,  and  were  the  principal  materials, in 
building  the  Baptist  church  in  this  place. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  these  three  churches,  are  the 
broken  remains  of  some  others,  particularly  at  London- 
derry and  Hopkinton.  The  churches  of  Bow  and  GoflPs- 
town,  have  lately  been  revived  ;  they  have  united  into 
one,  and  are  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Elder  Gates. 

Thus  Me  have  given  a  general  view  of  the  Calvinistic 
Associated  Baptists  in  New- Hampshire.  There  are  a 
few  churches  of  the  same  faith  and  order,  which  are  not 
associated,  which  will  be  brought  to  view  in  the  general 
list  of  Associations  and  churches. 

There  is,  also,  in  this  State,  a  considerable  number  of 
churches  of  the  Free-will  Baptists,  of  whom  some  infor- 
mation will  be  given  in  the  history  of  that  community. 

The  Congregational  church  is  the  established  religion 
of  New-Hampshire.  But  dissenters  of  various  denomina- 
tions form  a  large  body  of  its  inhabitants.  I  do  not  find 
that  the  Baptists  have  suffered  much  in  this  State,  from 
religious  oppression,  or  been  much  harassed  with  those 
fretting  plagues  to  New-England  dissenters,  ministerial 
taxes. 

This  moderation  we  may  attribute  partly  to  the  spirit 
of  the  established  church,  but  mostly  to  other  causes. 
While  New- Hampshire  was  a  provincial  government,  its 
Governors  and  Counsellors  were  appointed  by  the  Crown 
of  England.  This  circumstance  was  favourable  to  dissen- 
ters, and  operated  as  a  check  to  the  monopolizing  views 
of  the  Congregational  clergy,  and  was  the  reason,  as  Mr. 
Backus  informs  us,  why  that  denomination  was  not  exalt- 


332  Extract  from  the  Bill  of  Rights. 

ed  to  such  an  overbearing  pre-eminence  here,  as  in  Massa- 
chusetts and  Connecticut. 

Another  reason  why  ecclesiastical  publicans,  or  ministe- 
rial tax-gatherers  have  not  been  so    troublesome   to  the 
Baptists   and  other  dissenters  in  this  State,    as  in  some  of 
the   neighbouring  ones,   may  be,  that  under  the   govern- 
ment of  Benning  Wentworth,   while  a  large  portion  of  the 
State  was  unsettled,  there  were  grants  of  ministerial  lands 
in  all  the  unsettled  townships.     These    grants   provided 
one  lot  for  the  first  settled  minister,   and  another  for  the 
support  of  the  ministry.     A  few  Baptist  ministers  obtain- 
ed these  lands  by  right  of  being  the  first  settled  ministers, 
for  they  were  not  exclusively  promised  to  any  one  denom- 
ination ;    bat  most  of  them  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
Congregational    ministers  ;    and    have,    in   many    places, 
precluded  the  need  of  religious  taxation. 

By  the  Constitution  of  New-Hampshire,  "  all  towns, 
parishes,  bodies  corporate,  or  religious  societies.  Sec  are 
empowered  to  make  adequate  provision  for  public  protes- 
tant  teachers  of  piety,  morality  and  religion."  But  it  also 
provides,  "  that  no  person  of  any  one  particular  religious 
sect  or  denomination,  shall  ever  be  compelled  to  pay  to- 
wards the  support  of  the  teachers  of  another  persuasion, 
sect,  or  denomination."* 

This  article  promises  all  that  dissenters  would  ask. 
But  notu'ithstanding  these  strong  and  unquahfied  terms 
of  exemption,  the  Baptists  and  other  dissenters,  have,  in 
a  few  instances,  been  obliged  to  lodge  certificates,  or 
make  some  formal  declaration  of  their  faith  to  get  clear  of 
parish  rates.  But  these  instances  have  not  been  numer- 
ous, and,  at  present,  our  brethren  in  this  State  generally 
enjoy  all  the  religious  privileges,  >vhich  they  have  ever 
asked  from  the  civil  power,  viz.  to  be  let  alone. 

*  Bill  of  Rights,  Art.  VI. 


Vermont..,.T\vo first  Churches.  333 

CHAP.  XI. 
VERMONT. 

THIS  is  wholly  an  inland  State,  and  is  bounded 
north  by  Lower  Canada,  east  by  Connecticut  river,  which 
divides  it  from  New-Hampshire,  south  by  Massachusetts, 
and  west  by  New- York.  This  State  began  to  be  settled 
about  1725  or  1730  ;  the  south  part  of  it,  at  that  time, 
was  claimed  by  Massachusetts.  After  the  year  1741,  the 
whole  territory  was  considered  as  lying  within  the  juris- 
diction of  New-Hampshire  ;  but  in  1764,  it  was  by  order 
of  the  King  of  Britain,  annexed  to  the  province  of  New- 
York.  This  occasioned  a  long  series  of  altercation  be- 
tween the  settlers  and  claimants  under  New- Hampshire 
and  the  government  of  New-York.  But  these  tedious 
controversies  were  finally  adjusted,  and  in  1791,  Vermont 
was  admitted  a  member  of  the  federal  union. ^ 

There  were  but  two  Baptist  churches  established  in  this 
State,  previous  to  the  year  1780.  The  first  of  these  was 
gathered  in  Shaftsbury  in  1768,  and  the  other  at  Pownal 
in  1773.  An  account  of  these  churches  will  be  given 
when  we  come  to  treat  of  the  Association,  to  which  they 
belong.  About  the  year  1780,  and  during  a  few  suc- 
ceeding years,  a  number  of  Baptist  ministers  from  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  neighbouring  States  removed  and  settled 
amidst  the  lofty  forests  of  this  then  uncultivated  territory. 
These  ministers  were  preceded  in  their  settlement  here, 
by  a  few  families  of  their  brethren,  they  were  attended  in 
their  removals  by  a  considerable  number  more,  and  mul- 
titudes shortly  followed  after  them,  who  dispersed  in  al- 
most every  direction  on  both  sides  of  the  Green  Moun- 
tains, in  the  lower  and  middle  regions  of  the  State,  and 
thus  laid  the  foundation  for  the  large  number  of  churches, 
which  shortly  aftervt^ards  arose. 

Between  the  years  1780  and  1790,  thirty-two  churches 
were  planted  in  Vermont,  so  that  together  with  the  two 
which  had  been  planted  before,  there  were  at  the  last  men- 
tioned date,  thirty-four  churches  in  this  State,  in  which 
were  twenty-eight  ordained,  and  fifteen  licensed  preach- 

*  Morse's  Geography,  vol.  I.  p.  361. 


334       First  Baptist  Ministers. . . .  Number  of  Churches. 

ers,  and  their  whole  number  of  communicants  was  about 
sixteen  hundred.  Elisha  Ransom,  Ehsha  Rich,  Joseph 
Cornell,  Thomas  Skeels,  Hezekiah  Eastman,  William 
Bentley,  John  Hibbard,  John  Peak,  Caleb  Blood,  Aaron 
Leland,  Isaac  Beal,  John  Drew,  Isaac  Webb,  Henry 
Green,  Isaiah  Stone,  and  Joseph  Call,  were  among-  the  first 
Baptist  ministers,  who  settled  in  this  State,  and  by  whose 
laborious  and  evangelical  exertions,  the  early  churches 
were  planted.  But  {q.\\  of  these  ministers  moved  into  the 
State,  with  the  immediate  expectation  of  taking  the  pas- 
toral care  of  churches,  for  at  the  time  of  their  removal  very 
few  churches  had  been  gathered  ;  but  most  of  them  came 
by  the  invitation  of  the  few  scattering  inhabitants,  who  had 
just  commenced  the  setdement  of  their  plantations,  and 
were  desirous  of  having  the  2;ospel  preached  among  them. 
And  some  of  them  were  merely  adventurers  into  a  new 
country  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  lands  on  which  they 
might  plant  their  families,  and  provide  for  their  support. 
But  that  wise  Providence,  which  led  them  in  the  wilder- 
ness, not  only  made  a  way  for  their  temporal  comfort  and 
advantage,  but  soon  opened  a  door  for  peculiar  usefulness 
in  their  ministerial  labours  ;  showers  of  grace  were  soon 
sent  down  on  many  of  the  infont  setdements  ;  the  calls  for 
their  labours  became  numerous  and  importunate,  and  the 
Lord  inspired  his  servants  with  diligence  and  delight  in  his 
service,  and  crowned  their  labours  with  abundant  success. 

In  the  churches,  which  were  planted  by  these  men,  have 
been  raised  up  a  number  of  ministerial  sons,  who  have  long 
been  and  still  continue  to  be  successful  labourers  in  this 
part  of  the  Lord's  vineyard.  Their  names  will  be  men- 
tioned in  the  history  of  the  churches  and  Associations  with 
which  they  are  respectively  connected. 

There  are,  at  present,  within  the  bounds  of  this  State 
about  80  churches,  most  of  which  are  connected  \a  ith  the 
Shaftsbury,-the  W^oodstock,  the  Vermont,  the  Richmond, 
the  Barre,  and  the  Danville  Associations,  all  of  which 
bodies  were  organized  within  this  State  ;  none  of  them, 
however,  are  exclusively  in  it,  and  the  Shaftsbury  and 
Woodstock  have  the  majority  of  their  churches  in  the 
States  of  New-York,  Massachusetts  and  New- Hampshire. 

As  the  churches,  in  this  State,  began  to  associate  soon 
after  they  \\ere  planted,  and  have,  with  a  very  {^\s  excep- 


Shaftsbury  Association.  ...Its  number  of  Churches,      Z\S^ 

tions,  always  travelled  in  an  associated  capacity,  it  may  be 
best  to  exhibit  what  the  limits  of  this  work  will  permit  us 
to  say  of  them,  in  connection  with  the  histories  of  the  As- 
sociations to  which  they  belong. 

SHAFTSBURY    ASSOCIATION. 

This  Association  was  formed  in  the  town  from  which 
it  received  its  name,  in  the  year  1780.  It  contained  at 
first  the  five  following  churches,  viz.  two  in  Shaftsbury, 
the  first  in  Cheshire,  then  called,'  now  New-Providence, 
one  in  Stillwater,  and  one  at  White- Creek.  The  princi- 
pal ministers  were  Peter  Warden,  William  Wait,  Lemuel 
Powers,  and  Joseph  Cornell.  Lemuel  Powers  was  ordain- 
ed at  this  first  meeting  of  the  Association. 

For  a  few  years  after  this  body  was  formed,  it  embraced 
some  churches,  which  now  belong  to  the  Vermont  Asso- 
ciation. At  present,  though  this  Association  contains 
thirty-two  churches,  yet  but  four  of  them  are  in  the  State  of 
Vermont,  viz.  the  first  and  fourth  in  Shaftsbury,  the  first 
in  Pownal,  and  the  church  in  Stanford ;  sixteen  arc 
in  the  State  of  New- York,  eight  in  that  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  four  in  Upper  Canada. 

Some  sketches  of  those  churches  belonging  to  this  body, 
which  are  situated  in  Massachusetts,  New- York,  and  Up- 
per Canada,  will  be  given  iu  the  history  of  the  States  and 
Province  to  which  they  belong.  Although  there  are  so 
few  churches  in  this  community  situated  in  Vermont,  yet, 
as  it  was  formed  in  this  State,  this  may  be  the  most  prop- 
er place  to  give  a  general  view  of  its  movements.  We 
shall  first,  however,  give  some  brief  sketches  of  the  few 
churches  which  belong  to  it  in  this  State. 

Shaftsbury.  This  town  is  in  Bennington  county,  near 
the  south-west  corner  of  the  State.  It  joins  the  town  of 
Bennington  on  the  south,  and  the  State  of  New- York  on 
the  west.  Such  is  its  local  situation,  being  near  to  the 
place  where  the  three  States  of  Nev.-York,  Vermont,  and 
Massachusetts  meet,  that  it  has  never  been  at  any  great 
distance  from  the  centre  of  the  Association,  and  here  its 
sessions  have  very  frequently  been  held. 

It  has  already  been  observed,  that  the  oldest  church  in 
Vermont  was  formed  in  this  to\vn  in  1768  ;    this  V\as  but 


336  Second,  Third,  and  Fourth  Churches. 

four  years  after  Bennington  began  to  be  settled.  I  can 
find  no  particular  account  of  the  origin  of  this  church. 
Mr.  Backus  merely  mentions,  that  Mr.  Bliss  Willoughby, 
who  was  ordained  as  the  pastor  of  a  Separate  church,  at 
a  place  called  Newent,  in  the  town  of  Norwich,  Connecti- 
cut, in  1753  ;  who  went  to  England  in  the  character  of 
an  a,^ent  for  die  Separate  churches  in  1756,  became  a  Bap- 
tist after  the  year  1764,  was  a  leader  in  early  times 
amongst  the  Baptists  in  this  place.*  He  also  mentions 
that  his  son  Ebenezer  Willoughby,  preached  among  this 
people,  although  neither  he  nor  his  flither  had  the  pastoral 
care  of  them  ;  and  that  in  1774,  the  church  consisted  of 
39  members.  This  town  appears  to  have  abounded  with 
Baptists  ;  a  second  church  was  formed  here  in  1780,  a 
third  in  1781,  and  a  fourth  in  1788.  The  third  church 
was  composed  of  brethren,  mostly  from  Rhode- Island, 
who  were  strenuous  for  the  imposition  of  hands,  and  their 
church  was  founded  upon  what  are  called  The  Six  Princi- 
ples. This  church  united  with  the  fourth  in  1798.  At 
present  there  are  three  churches  in  this  town,  called  the 
first,  second,  and  fourth.  Tw^o  of  them  belong  to  the 
Association,  and  one  does  not.  The  first  church  is  under 
the  pastoral  care  of  a  young  man,  a  native  of  the  place, 
whose  name  is  Isaiah  Mattison. 

The  second  church  has  no  pastor,  and  never  had  ;  but 
they  have  a  worthy  exhorter  among  them,  by  the  name  of 
Downer,  who  is  now  80  years  old. 

The  fourth  in  this  town  has  flourished  more  than  any  of 
the  rest.  It  was  many  years  supplied  by  Mr.  Caleb 
Blood,  and  under  his  ministry  it  experienced  some  pre- 
cious revivals  and  prospered  greatly.  The  most  distin- 
guished of  these  refreshing  seasons,  W'as  in  the  years  1798 
and  1799,  at  which  time,  about  150  persons  were  baptized. 
An  interesting  account  of  this  revival  was  written  by  Mr. 
Blood,  and  after  being  inserted  in  a  number  of  pamphlets 
and  Magazines,  it  was  published  in  Mr.  Woodw-ard's  Sur- 
prising Accounts,  Sec.  After  administering  to  this  church 
about  nineteen  years,  Mr.  Blood,  in  1807,  by  the  request 
of  the  3d  church,  then  newly  formed  in  Boston,  renjoved 

*  Backus'  History,  Vol.  III.  p.  29"  I  find  the  account  of  Mr.  Willongh- 
by's  being  a  ader,  &.r  is  disputed  by  some,  and  supposed  probable  by  oth- 
ers.    And  so  I  must  leave  it. 


Gov,  Galusha....Pownal Church. ...Its  Constitution.     337 

and  settled  with  them.  There  he  continued  about  three 
years,  and  then  he  ren)oved  to  Portland,  in  the  District  of 
Maine,  where  he  now  resides.  The  church,  which  he  left 
in  Shaftsbury,  has  had  some  refreshing  seasons  since  his 
removal ;  they  are  still  a  large  and  respectable  body  ;  but 
as  yet  remain  destitute  of  a  pastor. 

His  Excellency  Jonas  Galusha,  Esq.  the  present  Gov- 
ernor of  Vermont,  resides  in  the  neighbourhood  of  this 
church,  of  which  a  number  of  his  family  are  members. 
One  of  his  sons,  who  was  bred  to  the  law,  has  lately  em- 
braced the  gospel,  has  united  with  this  church,  and  by  it 
has  been  approbated  to  preach. 

PowNAL.— -This  town  is  also  in  the  county  of  Benning- 
ton, and  lies  in  the  south-west  corner  of  "Vermont, 
havino:  Massachusetts  on  the  south,  and  New- York  on  the 
west.  Through  it  runs  the  Hoosuck  river,  on  which  some 
Dutch  people  irom  the  State  of  New-York,  formed  settle- 
ments,  as  early  as  any  which  were  made  in  Bennington. 

In  1764,  a  Baptist  minister  by  the  name  of  Benjamin 
Garner,  from  West-Greenwich,  in  the  State  of  Rhode- 
Island,  travelled  into  these  parts,  and  preached  among  the 
few  inhabitants  through  the  summer  of  that  year  ;  and 
the  year  follouing  he  removed  his  family  and  settled  in 
the  place.  Nothing  of  a  religious  nature  appeared  here, 
until  1772,  when  Mr.  Garner,  having  found  five  Baptist 
members  besides  himself,  he  united  with  them,  and  embo- 
died them  into  a  church.  The  next  year  the  place  was 
visited  with  a  distressing  sickness,  which  was  the  means 
of  awakening  many  to  the  concerns  of  religion,  and  the 
church,  this  year,  was  increased  to  sixty  members. 

Mr.  Garner  made  high  pretensions  to  godliness,  but  his 
profession  and  practice  were  far  from  corresponding  with 
each  other.  The  foul  sin  of  unclean ness  easily  beset  him. 
Of  this  sin  he  had  been  accused  while  in  Rhode-Island, 
and  a  repetition  of  it  here,  plunged  him  into  disgrace,  and 
the  new-formed  church  into  embarrassment  and  confusion. 
This  affair  happened  soon  after  the  enlargement  just  men, 
tioned,  and  in  a  broken  and  disconsolate  situation,  this  in- 
fant church  remained,  until  the  winter  of  1781,  when  they 
were  visited  by  Francis  Bennet  from  Foster  in  Rhode- 

voL,  I.  43 


338  Mr.  Nichols. . , .  Church  edified  by  him. 

Island,  whose  labours  were  blessed  among  them,  and  die 
church  soon  after  resumed  its  visibility  and  travel.* 

In  1788,  Elder  Caleb  Nichols,  who  was  also  from 
Rhode-Island,  setded  in  Pownal,  and  became  the  pastor  of 
this  church,  in  which  station  he  laboured  with  much  ac- 
ceptance and  success  for  many  years.  Mr.  Nichols  was 
born  in  Exeter,  R.  I.  March  12,  1743.  He  was  a  vain 
and  thoughtless  youth,  much  attached  to  the  violin  and 
merry  company.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four,  he  was 
brought  to  embrace  the  Saviour,  and  soon  after  was  bap- 
tized by  Elder  Nathan  Young.  Not  long  after  he  began 
to  preach,  he  was  ordained  to  the  p  astoral  care  of  the  sec- 
ond church  in  Coventry  in  his  native  state,  which  had  been 
constituted  a  kw  months  before.  Under  Mr.  Nichols' 
ministry,  this  church  prospered  greatly,  so  that  in  the 
course  of  eight  or  ten  years  it  increased  to  350  members  ; 
but  in  the  time  of  the  war  the  members  scattered  abroad, 
and  the  church  became  so  broken  and  feeble,  that  Mr. 
Nichols  thought  best  to  remove  from  them,  at  the  time 
already  mentioned. 

In  a  MS.  of  Mr.  John  Leland's,  written  while  Mr. 
Nichols  was  alive,  I  find  his  character  thus  given  :  "  El- 
der Nichols  moved  into  Pownal  in  1788,  bringing  with 
him  not  only  fair  paper  credentials,  but  what  far  exceeds, 
a  heart  glowing  with  love  to  God  and  men  ;  and  now,  in- 
stead of  using  his  violin  to  captivate  the  thoughtless  throng, 
he  is  engaged  with  successful  zeal  in  sounding  the  gospel 
trumpet.  His  life  and  conversation  are  exemplary  ;  his 
preaching  is  spiritual  and  animating,  pretty  full  of  the  mu- 
sical Nei^- Light  tone.  But  his  gift  in  prayer  is  his  great 
excellency  ;  for  he  not  only  prays  as  if  he  was  softly 
climbing  Jacob's  ladder  to  the  portals  of  heaven,  but  his 
expressions  are  so  doctrinal,  that  a  good  sermon  may  be 
heard  in  one  of  his  prayers." 

Under  the  ministry  of  this  excellent  man,  the  Pownal 
church  was  edified  and  enlarged.  The  year  after  he  re- 
moved among  them,  a  revival  attended  his  labours.     In 

*  Mr.  Garner  died  at  Pownal,  in  the  autumn  of  1793,  in  the  TStli  year  of 
l»is  age.  For  a  long  time  bei'ore  his  death  he  was,  to  use  his  own  words, 
"  A  poor  object  of  despair."  But  a  little  before  he  died,  he  manifested  some 
comfortable  views  in  the  prospect  of  eternity,  and  once  said  to  a  friend  '|  That 
he  believed  tlxit  all  the  punishment  he;  should  ever  endure  would  be  in  thiB 
life" 

r"  •  ■    , 


Second  Pownal  Church. . . . Saratoga  Association.     339 

1793,  another  powerful  work  of  God  broke  out  among 
them,  and  in  a  short  time  about  seventy  were  added  to 
their  number.  This  worthy  minister  finished  his  course 
in  1804.  Since  his  death,  the  church  has  experienced 
some  refreshing  seasons,  and  been  supplied  with  different 
preachers,  but  have  not  as  yet  settled  any  one  among  them 
in  the  pastoral  office. 

The  2d  church  in  Pownal  was  gathered  in  the  west  part 
of  the  town  in  1790,  by  Mr.  Bennet,  whose  name  has  al- 
ready been  mentioned.  This  church  has  never  been  large, 
and  has  never  united  with  the  Association. 

Concerning  the  church  in  Sanford,  I  have  received  no 
information. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  give  some  brief  sketches  of 
the  body  whose  history  we  have  under  consideration. 

The  Shaftsbury  Association,  although  of  a  recent  date, 
compared  with  some  of  its  sister  communities,  yet  on  ac- 
count of  its  almost  continual  prosperity  and  enlargement, 
the  number  and  size  of  its  churches,  and  the  number  of 
eminent  ministers  amongst  them,  must  be  considered  as 
one  of  the  most  important  establishments  of  the  kind, 
amongst  the  American  Baptists. 

In  1788,  the  number  of  its  churches  had  increased  to 
sixteen,  at  which  time  the  total  number  of  members  was 
about  800. 

In  1796,  the  number  of  churches  was  twenty  eight,  and 
in  this  year  upwards  of  four  hundred  were  added  by  bap- 
tism, which  made  the  whole  number  of  members  almost 
eighteen  hundred. 

In  the  year  1800,  this  Association  contained  upwards 
of  forty  churches,  and  more  than  four  thousand  members. 
In  this  year  there  were  added  by  baptism  767.  In  this 
prosperous  manner,  this  body  progressed,  until  the  year 
1804,  when  its  number  amounted  to  between  five  and  six 
thousand.  It  had  now  become  so  large  and  extensive, 
that  a  division  which  had  previously  been  proposed  was 
amicably  effected. 

The  churches  in  this  Association,  at  the  time  of  its 
division,  were  scattered  over  the  counties  of  Berkshire  and 
Hampshire  in  Massachusetts,  and  in  those  of  Columbia, 
Rensselaer,  Washington,  and  Saratoga,  in  New- York.  It 
had  in    former  years  been  much   more  extensive  in  its 


2  40    Saratoga  Associati07ifortned, . . .  ^lestmi  discussed, 

boundaries,  but  many  churches  had  been  dismissed  before 
this  period,  to  unite  with  Associations  which  had  been 
estabhshed  within  their  respective  vicinities. 

Most  of  the  churches  which  were  dismissed  in  1804 
v.ere  situatcvd  to  the  westward  of  the  Hudson  river,  in  the 
counties  of  Washington  and  Saratoga  in  the  State  of  New- 
York  ;  these  united  in  forming  the  Saratoga  Association. 

About  the  time  of  this  division,  the  Association  proba- 
bly contained  as  great  a  number  of  Elders  of  distinguished 
abilities  and  eminent  usefulness,  as  any  other  Association 
in  the  United  States.  But  the  Saratoga  Association  took 
off  some  of  these  men,  others,  not  long  after,  were  taken 
away  by  death,  and  some  removed  to  other  parts  ;  and 
thus  this  extensive  and  influential  estabhshment,  was  not 
onlv  reduced  in  its  numbers  but  enfeebled  in  its  enersries. 
But  at  present  it  appears  to  be  resuming  its  former  char- 
acter, and  is  travelling  on  with  reputation  and  strength. 

For  a  number  of  years,  this  Association  was  considera- 
bly occupied  in  discussing  the  question,  "  Whether 
church  members  ought  to  be  tolerated  in  uniting  with, 
and  continuing  to  frequent,  Masonick  Societies,  to  the 
grief  of  their  brethren  ?"  This  was  a  question  of  much 
importance,  and  at  the  same  time  of  a  very  embarrassing 
nature.  It  appears  to  have  been  started  in  the  Association 
in  1798,  and  continued  to  be  agitated  more  or  less  for  five 
or  six  years.  It  is  stated  in  their  Minutes,  that  there 
w-ere,  in  some  of  their  churches,  at  the  time  this  matter 
wa\s  taken  up,  brethren,  who  had  united  with  Masonick 
Societies,  and  who  continued  to  frequent  their  Lodges  in 
opposition  to  the  remonstrances,  and  to  the  continual 
grief  of  their  brethren.  Wlien  this  matter  was  brought 
before  the  Association,  the  brethren  generally  were  puz- 
zled to  know  what  advice  to  give.  They  could  by  no 
means  approve  of  the  grievous  conduct  of  the  brethren  com- 
plained of ;  and  at  the  same  time,  as  it  could  not  be  prov- 
ed that  they  had,  by  uniting  with  the  Masonick  Fraternity, 
violated  any  moral  rule,  they  could  find  no  law  by  which 
they  could  be  made  the  subjects  of  church  discipline  and 
censure.  The  Association,  at  first,  said  but  little  on  the 
matter,  but  the  question  being  agitated  from  year  to  year, 
they  at  length  became  somewhat  animated  with  their  own 
discussions,  and  expressed  themselves  with  more  energy 


A  Report  upon  the  ^lestion..,. Report  accepted.       341 

and  decision  on  the  subject.  In  1803,  a  committee,  who 
had  been  appointed  for  the  purpose,  after  a  short  preamble, 
made  the  following  report  :  "In  order  to  prevent  any- 
further  difficulty  on  the  subject,  we  wish  now  to  be  fairly 
and  fully  understood ;  that  as  to  the  propriety  or  impro- 
priety of  Free  Masonry,  we  do  not,  as  an  Association,  un- 
dertake to  determine.  Yet  we  freely  say,  that  inasmuch 
as  our  brethren  do  not  pretend  they  are  bound  in  con- 
science, by  any  rule  in  the  word  of  God,  to  unite  with 
that  fraternity,  for  them  to  form  a  connexion  with  them, 
or  frequent  their  Lodges,  when  they  know  it  is  a  grief  to 
their  christian  brethren,  and  makes  disturbance  in  the 
churches  ;  it  (in  our  opinion)  gives  sufficient  reason  for 
others  to  conclude  they  are  not  such  as  follow  after  the 
things  that  make  for  peace,  and  things  wherewith  one  may 
edify  another,  Rom.  xiv.  1^  ;  but  rather  are  such  as  cause 
divisions  and  contentions,  contrary  to  the  doctrine  we 
have  learned,  Rom.  xvi.  17;  and,  of  course,  if  they  con- 
tinue obstinately  in  such  practices,  ought  to  be  rejected 
from  fellowship  ;  and  consequently  it  is  not  reasonable  for 
us  to  invite  them  to  a  seat  in  our  Association.  We  there- 
fore answer  the  query  from  the  church  at  Providence,  in 
the  negative. 

"  Yet  we  do  not  wish,  at  present,  to  have  this  resolu- 
tion so  construed,  as  to  interrupt  our  correspondence  with 
sister  Associations,  but  to  have  it  continued. 

"  If  there  be  any  brethren,  in  any  of  our  churches  or 
sister  Associations,  who  live  in  the  practice  of  frequenting 
the  Masonick  Lodges,  we  flatter  ourselves,  that  such 
churches  and  Associations,  after  hearing  our  minds  on  the 
subject,  will  not  feel  disposed  to  grieve  brethren  among 
us,  by  sending  such  of  their  members  as  delegates  to  this 
Association." 

This  report  was  received  by  the  Association  and  insert- 
ed in  their  minutes  for  1803,  page  9.  The  broad  hints  to- 
wards the  close  of  it  were  not  the  most  grateful  to  some 
members  of  corresponding  Associations,  who  had  been  let 
farther  into  the  secrets  of  Masonry,  than  their  proscribing 
brethren,  and  who  had  never  considered  that  the  meeting 
with  Masonick  Lodges  was,  in  itself,  a  crime  of  sufficient 
magnitude  to  interrupt  christian  fellowship  and  com 
munion. 


3  42         Woodstock  Association. . . .  Remarkable  Eiient* 

But  to  make  short  the  history  of  this  affair,  it  is  sufficient 
to  observe,  that  it  proved  in  the  end,  to  be  much  labour 
and  time  spent  to  Httle  purpose.  The  Association,  not- 
"withstanding  their  spirited  resolves,  left  the  question  pretty 
much  as  they  found  it.  They,  it  is  true,  manifested  some 
portion  of  wisdom  in  their  discussion  of  the  matter,  but 
they  showed  by  far  the  most  when  they  gave  it  up. 

WOODSTOCK     ASSOCIATION. 

This  Association  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Connecticut 
river,  in  the  States  of  Vermont  and  New- Hampshire.  It 
w^as  organized  with  a  very  few  churches,  February,  1783, 
in  Woodstock,  w  hich  is  one  of  the  principal  towns  in  Wind- 
sor county,  a  few  miles  above  Windsor  in  Vermont,  and 
not  far  below  Hanover  in  New-Hampshire,  and  no  great 
distance  west  of  Connecticut  river. 

Some  of  the  oldest  churches  in  this  body  are  situated 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  river  in  the  counties  of  Cheshire, 
Grafton  and  Hillsborough,  in  New-Hampshire.  An  ac- 
count of  these  churches  has  already  been  given  in  the 
history  of  the  State  to  which  they  belong.  As  this  body 
originated  in  Vermont,  we  shall,  under  this  head,  give  a 
brief  narrative  of  its  proceedings,  together  with  some  his- 
torical sketches  of  the  most  distinguished  churches  which 
it  contains. 

This  Association  has  never  been  large  compared  with 
the  Shaftsbury  and  some  others  ;  but  it  has  generally  been 
in  a  flourishing  state,  its  movements  have  been  harmonious 
and  regular  ;  its  churches  have  been  well  established  and 
respectable,  many  of  which  have  been,  and  still  are,  sup- 
plied with  ministers  eminent  for  their  abilities  and  useful- 
ness. 

Dr.  Baldwin,  now  the  pastor  of  the  2d  Baptist  church 
in  Boston,  was,  for  a  number  of  years,  the  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Canaan,  (N.  H.)  one  of  the  constituent  mem- 
bers of  this  Association,  and  the  most  remarkable  event, 
which  I  find  in  its  history  is,  that  by  their  request,  he  ex- 
hibited before  them,  a  small  treatise,  entitled,  "  The  Bap- 
tism of  Believers  only\  and  the  Particular  Communion  of 
the  Baptist  Churches^  explained  and  '^indicated.''''  This 
performance,  being  approved  by  the  Association  was,  at 


Its  oldest  Churches  in  Fermont. . .  PFoodstock  Church.    343 

their  instance,  forwarded  to  the  press.  *'  This  work  was 
intended  rather  as  an  apology  for  the  particular  commu- 
nion of  the  Baptists,  than  as  an  attack  upon  the  sentiments 
and  practice  of  others."  But  it  was,  however,  vie\\ed  by 
the  Pedobaptists,  as  a  work  of  too  much  importance  to 
pass  unnoticed.  Accordingly,  in  1791,  the  Rev.  Noah 
Worcester,  pastor  of  a  Congregational  church  in  Thorn- 
ton, (N.  H.)  published  a  reply  to  it,  entitled,  "  A  Friendly 
Letter,'^''  &c.  This  called  forth  a  reply  from  Dr.  Bald- 
win in  1794,  after  he  had  settled  in  Boston.  In  a  word, 
the  little  tract  which  Dr.  Baldwin  wrote  amidst  the  forests 
and  mountains  of  New-Hampshire,  laid  the  foundation  for 
that  baptismal  controversy,  which  he  has  since,  with  much 
ability,  maintained  against  a  number  of  opposers. 

Amongst  the  oldest  churches  in  the  Woodstock  Asso- 
ciation, on  the  Vermont  side  of  the  river,  we  must  reckon 
those  of  Woodstock,  Hartford,  Bridgewater,  Westmiisster, 
Dummerston,  Royalton,  Windsor,  Putney,  Chester,  Rock- 
ingham, and  Reading.  Dummerston,  Putney,  and  some 
other  churches  in  the  south-east  corner  of  Vermont,  now 
belong  to  the  Leyden  Association.  Of  a  few  of  the  re- 
maining ones  it  may  be  proper  to  give  some  brief  ac- 
counts. 

The  Woodstock  church  was  planted  in  1780,  by  Elder 
Elisha  Ransom,  who  had  removed  from  Sutton,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  settled  in  this  town  a  short  time  before. 
This  church  joined  to  the  Warren  Association  the  same 
year  in  which  it  was  gathered,  and  continued  with  it,  un- 
til the  Woodstock  Association  was  formed.  The  Wood- 
stock church  prospered  much  for  some  time.  In  the 
course  of  three  years  from  its  beginning,  it  increased  to 
eighty  members,  and  became  so  extensive  that  another 
church  was  formed  from  it  in  the  same  town,  about  1785, 
which,  however,  was  not  long  afterwards  re-united  to  the 
mother  establishment.  Mr.  Ransom  continued  in  the 
pastoral  office  here,  upwards  of  twenty  years.  And  after 
him,  Mr.  Jabez  Cotde  administered  to  the  church  a  few 
years  ;  but  he  has  removed  from  thence  ;  and  the  follow- 
ers of  Elias  Smith  have  prevailed  so  much,  that  the 
church  has  now  nearly  or  quite  lost  its  visibility. 


344      Chester  Church.  ...Its  Enlargement  and  Dhision, 

The  church  in  Chester,  Windsor  county,  was  formed 
in  1789.  It  originated  in  the  following  manner.  In 
1786,  Aaron  Leland,  a  native  of  Holliston,  Massachusetts, 
who  had  been  approbated  to  preach  a  little  before,  by  the 
church  in  BcUingham,  then  under  the  care  of  Elder  Noah 
Alden,  received  a  letter  from  fifteen  persons  living  in 
Chester,  none  of  whom  however  were  Baptist  members, 
requesting  him  to  come  and  preach  among  them  for  a 
short  time.  Conformable  to  this  request,  he  took  a  jour- 
ney to  the  place  a  few  months  after.  But  when  he  arriv- 
ed, he  found  it  so  much  uncultivated,  both  in  a  natural  and 
moral  point  of  view,  and  the  prospect  so  unpromising, 
that  he  was  unwilling  to  think  of  tarrying  with  them  long. 
But  after  being  here  a  short  time,  he  felt  a  powerful  appli- 
cation to  his  mind  of  this  passage,  "  The  Lord  hath  much 
people  in  this  cit}."  This  scripture  afforded  him  much 
comfort  then,  and  he  has  had  the  happiness  since  of  see- 
ing it  abundantly  verified.  After  preaching  with  the 
people  a  few  weeks,  he  returned  ;  visited  them  again  not 
many  months  after,  and  in  a  short  time  settled  among 
them.  He  had  been  previously  ordained  by  the  church 
in  Bellingham. 

In  1789,  he  had  the  happiness  of  seeing  a  small  church 
gathered,  which  consisted  of  only  ten  members,  including 
himself  This  little  body  travelled  on  in  harmony  and 
order,  experiencing  a  gradual  increase,  but  no  remarkable 
ingathering  for  ten  years  after  it  was  founded.  But  in 
1799,  a  revival  commenced,  which  became  very  powerful 
and  extensive,  and  spread,  not  only  throughout  Chester, 
but  prevailed  in  a  number  of  the  neighbouring  towns.  At 
the  close  of  this  work,  the  church  had  become  so  numer- 
ous and  extensive,  that  they  thought  proper  to  make  a 
division,  and  by  the  advise  of  their  brethren,  ^^  ho  were 
called  for  the  purpose,  on  the  31st  of  August,  1803,  four 
churches  were  set  off  from  the  original  body,  which  were 
named  from  the  towns  in  which  they  were  situated, 
Andover,  Grafton,  Wethersficld,  and  Cavendish.  This 
was  an  interesting  day,  and  the  circumstance  is  probably 
unexampled  in  the  annals  of  our  churches.  These  de- 
tached churches  are  now  all  supplied  with  pastors,  and 
are  well  established  and  flourishing  bodies.  I'wo  of  their 
pastors  had  been  deacons  in  the  mother  church  before  its 


Mr,  Leland. , . .  Twehe  Churches  in  IVindham  County,    345 

division,  the  other  two  came  from  other  parts.  Mr.  Jon- 
athan Going,  pastor  of  the  church  in  Cavendish,  was  edu- 
cated at  Brown  University.  Besides  planting  so  many 
daughters  around  her,  and  furnishing  two  of  them  with 
pastors,  the  Chester  church  has  sent  out  three  other  minis- 
ters, who  are  labouring  in  other  parts. 

Notwithstanding  this  great  and  sudden  reduction,  this 
fruitful  body  was  left  with  between  70  or  80  members. 
It  experienced  no  great  addition,  from  the  time  of  its  di- 
vision, until  1811,  when  another  revival  commenced  with- 
in its  bounds,  by  which  a  goodly  number  have  been  added. 

Mr.  Leland,  the  worthy  pastor  of  this  church,  has,  in 
addition  to  his  ministerial  duties,  filled  a  number  of  civil 
offices  in  the  State.  He  was  nine  years  a  Representative 
from  the  town  of  Chester  in  the  State  Legislature,  four  of 
which  he  was  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Assembly.  In 
1803,  he  was  appointed  Judge  of  the  County  Court  for  the 
county  of  Windsor.  This  office  he  still  holds.  He  has  also 
held  a  number  of  minor  offices,  all  of  which  he  has  now  re- 
signed. He  was  at  one  time,  so  loaded  with  civil  offices  and 
honours,  that  many  of  his  friends  were  much  concerned 
for  his  religious  and  ministerial  character.  And,  indeed, 
he  at  length  became  concerned  about  himself,  and  that  not 
without  cause.  Although  he  had  been  enabled  to  main- 
tain an  unspotted  character,  in  the  midst  of  all  his  worldly 
elevations,  yet  he  found  such  a  want  of  religious  enjoy, 
ment,  and  such  a  defection  in  the  zeal  and  success  of  his 
ministry,  that  he,  a  few  years  ago,  gave  up  all  his  civil 
employments,  except  that  of  officiating  on  the  bench, 
which  occupies  his  attention  but  a  few  weeks  in  the  course 
of  a  year,  and  he  is  now  once  more  very  zealously  and 
aflfectionately  engaged  in  the  most  honourable,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  most  despised  employment  amongst  men. 
Mr.  Leland  is  distantly  related  to  John  Leland  ot  Cheshire. 

The  county  of  Windham,  in  the  southeast  corner  of 
this  State,  has  been  in  some  measure  a  distinguished  re- 
sort and  nursery  of  Baptists,  for  upwards  of  forty  years. 
In  this  county  are  twelve  churches,  belonging  to  the  Ley- 
den  Association,  the  seat  of  which  body  is  considered  to 
be  in  Massachusetts.  The  first  church  in  Guilford,  and 
the  church  in  Dummerston,  are  the  oldest  among  them  ; 
the  Guilford  church  appears  to  be  the  oldest  on  this  side 

VOL,  I.  44 


346        Churches  in  Guilford. . , .  Mr.  Isaiah  Stoue. 

of  the  Green  Mountains,  the  origin  of  which  was  in  the 
following  manr.er  :  About  the  year  1770,  a  number  of 
persons  from  different  parts,  moved  into  this  town,  many 
of  whom  were  soon  afterwards  awakened  to  religious  con- 
cerns, and  embraced  the  Baptist  sentiments.  These  per- 
sons, to  the  number  of  thirty-three,  were  embodied  into 
a  church  in  1776.  This  church  increased  so  much  that 
another  was  formed  out  of  it  in  1783.  But  the  next  year, 
for  some  reason,  these  two  churches  were  again  united 
into  one,  and  a  revival  commenced  among  them  soon  after, 
by  which  a  large  number  were  added,  and  the  church 
moved  on  in  harmony,  until  the  famous  dispute  between 
the  States  of  New- York  and  New-Hampshire  disturbed 
its  tranquillity.  As  the  church  was  established  on  disput- 
ed land,  the  members  imbibed  the  spirit  of  controversy, 
and  soon  fell  into  an  unhappy  contention,  insomuch  that 
the  church  was  scattered  and  nearly  dissolved.  But  in 
1790,  after  the  interfering  claims  of  the  contending  States 
were  adjusted,  and  the  territory  of  Vermont  was  restored  to 
tranquillity,  this  church  recovered  from  its  dispersion,  and 
re-commenced  its  travel.  The  town  of  Guilford  has 
abounded  with  Baptists,  and  it  now  contains  three  churches, 
but  I  have  not  gained  sufficient  information  to  give  an 
account  of  their  origin  or  movements. 

The  ministers,  \\ho  have  laboured  here  at  different 
times,  were  Whitman  Jacobs,  a  native  of  Bristol,  Rhode- 
Island,  who  planted  the  church  in  Thompson,  Connecti- 
cut; Peleg  Hix,  from  Rehoboth,  Massachusetts,  and 
Richard  Williams,  from  Groton,  Connecticut.  The  first 
church  is  now  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Jeremy  Packer  ; 
the  one  called  Guilford  United  Church,  is  supplied  by 
Lewis  Allen  ;  the  third  church  is  destitute  of  a  pastor. 

Dummerston  church  was  constituted  in  1783.  The 
next  year  after  it  was  formed,  Mr.  Isaiah  Stone,  who  is 
now  at  New-Boslon,  New-Hampshire,  settled  in  the  town, 
and  preached  a  part  of  the  time  with  this  church  for  a 
number  of  years.  When  he  removed  from  them,  the 
church  contained  only  thirty -one  members.  Soon  after 
his  removal,  a  revival  commenced,  by  which  about  a  hun- 
dred were  added  to  their  number. 

In  1793,  Rufus  Freeman  settled  among  them,  and  soon 
after  he  was  ordained  their  pastor,  in  which  office  he  con- 


Vermont  Association  formed  in  Mr,  CorneWsBatn.     347 

tinued  many  years.  Mr.  Freeman  was  a  native  of  Provi- 
dence, Rhode-Island,  where  he  was  born  in  1762.  His 
father  died  at  sea  when  he  was  an  infant,  his  mother  died 
while  he  was  yet  a  child.  At  six  years  of  age  he  was  car- 
ried to  Fitzvvilliam,  in  New- Hampshire,  by  a  man  who 
brought  him  up.  In  this  town  he  was  converted  in  the 
seventeenth  year  of  his  age,  and  here,  also,  he  began  to 
preach  in  1789.  From  Fitzwilliam  he  went  to  Hardwick, 
and  from  that  place  to  Dummerston.  His  next  remove 
was  to  Colerain,  and  farther  than  this  I  cannot  trace  him. 
Mr.  John  Leland,  in  his  MS.  History  of  this  church, 
speaks  of  Mr.  Freeman  in  respectful  terms. 

The  present  pastor  of  this  church  is  Jonathan  Hunt, 
who  has  been  with  them  a  number  of  years.  Of  the  re- 
maining churches  in  this  county,  I  have  not  obtained  suf- 
ficient information,  to  form  any  interesting  details. 

VERMONT    ASSOCIATION. 

This  was  the  third  confederacy  of  the  kind  established 
in  this  State.  It  was  organized  in  Elder  Joseph  Cornell's 
barn,  in  the  town  of  Manchester,  May,  1785.  The  coun- 
try was  then  so  new,  and  the  houses  so  small,  that  a  man- 
sion similar  to  that  in  which  the  Saviour  was  first  seen  by 
mortals,  was  the  most  convenient  place  in  which  they 
could  assemble.  This  body,  at  the  time  of  its  constitu- 
tion, comprized  only  five  small  churches,  in  which  were 
but  four  elders,  and  231  members.  In  five  years  from  its 
beginning,  it  increased  to  thirteen  churches,  and  740 
members.  The  number  of  churches  is  now  twenty-two, 
which  contain  about  1900  communicants. 

This  Association  lies  wholly  west  of  the  Green  Moun- 
tains, and  is  mostly  in  the  counties  of  Rutland  and  Addi- 
son. Two  of  its  churches,  viz.  Salem  and  Granville,  are 
in  Washington  county.  New- York.  This  body  now 
comprises  a  number  of  large  and  respectable  churches, 
which  are  supplied  by  a  number  of  ministers,  eminent  for 
their  abilities  and  usefulness ;  but  as  to  its  movements  we 
cannot  say  that  they  have,  at  all  times,  been  harmonious 
and  comfortable.  For  many  years  the  Association  trav- 
elled in  peace  and  love,  but  at  length  it  fell  into  a  dis- 
pute  about  the  prerogatives  which  it  possessed,     Some 


548  The  Association  dhides. . , ,  Unites  again. 

were  for  constituting  it  a  board  of  trial  for  ministers, 
churches,  &c.  others  opposed  these  measures  as  an  in- 
fringement on  the  independency  of  the  churches,  and  an 
usurpation  of  power,  to  which  they  had  no  constitutional 
claim.  And  thus,  to  use  a  familiar  figure,  while  some 
were  endeavouring  to  plant  horns  on  their  body,  which  in 
their  opinion  was  wanting  in  energy,  others  stood  by  with 
their  weapons  to  beat  them  oft' ;  and  at  length  the  contest 
arose  so  high,  that  the  Association  was  rent  asunder,  and 
the  two  part^ies,  for  a  short  time,  met  in  separate  compa- 
nies ;  thus  the  body,  about  which  they  were  contending, 
was  left  without  either  head  or  horns.  It  is  not  intended, 
by  this  familiar  manner  of  treating  these  measures,  to  trifle 
with  the  feelings  of  those  worthy  brethren,  by  whom  they 
were  promoted.  These  unhappy  proceedings  must  not 
be  reckoned  among  their  wisest  and  most  condescending 
acts.  But  it  is  pleasant  to  learn,  that  a  spirit,  conciliatory 
and  forbearing,  soon  succeeded  that  which  was  so  discord- 
ant and  painful ;  a  convention  composed  of  delegates  from 
both  parties  came  to  an  amicable  adjustment  of  their 
differences,  the  powers  of  an  Association  were  unanimously 
agreed  upon,  the  dissevered  members  of  this  body  were 
happily  united,  and  it  has,  from  that  period,  travelled  on 
in  harmony  and  love.  The  substance  of  these  remarks  was 
communicated  by  a  minister  who  has  long  held  a  respecta- 
ble standing  in  this  Association. 

Respecting  the  history  of  the  churches  in  this  connexion, 
some  very  brief  sketches  must  suffice.  I  was  not  enabled 
to  travel  amongst  them.  I  have,  however,  taken  much 
pains  to  ascertain  their  history,  a  few  things  have  been 
communicated,  but  many  more  \vhich  were  expected  have, 
for  some  reason,  not  come  to  hand. 

The  five  constituent  churches  of  this  Association  were 
those  of  Clarendon,  Granville,  Manchester,  Dai^by,  and 
Mapleto\\  n.  The  churches  in  Wallingford,  Ira,  Middle- 
town,  and  Pittsfield,  were  constituted  before  the  Associa- 
tion was  formed;  and  those  of  Poultney,  Orwell,  Hub- 
bardston,  Brandon  and  Paulet,  but  a  few  years  after. 

The  church  in  Wallingford  was  gathered  in  1780,  and 
is  the  oldest  within  the  bounds  of  the  Vermont  Associa- 
tion. It  was  named  after  Wallingford  in  Connecticut, 
from  which  town  many  of  the  first  settlers  emigrated. 


Manchester^  Middleton  and  Pouhney  Churches.       349 

Mr.  Henry  Green,  now  in  Cornwall,  was  its  first  pastor. 
The  VValliiigfoid  church  withdrew  from  the  Association 
in  the  time  of  its  contentions,  and  has  never  united  with  it 
since.  It  is  still  in  respectable  standing,  though  desti. 
tute  of  a  pastor. 

The  next  church  in  point  of  seniority,  is  that  of  Man», 
Chester,  in  the  county  of  Bennington,  which  was  planted 
by  Elder  Joseph  Cornell,  in  1781.  Mr.  Cornell  is  a  na- 
tive of  Swansea,  Myssachusetts,  from  which  place  he  re- 
moved to  Cheshire,  in  the  same  State,  in  1770,  where  he 
was  ordained  ten  years  after.  Immediately  after  his  ordi- 
nation, by  the  request  of  more  than  seventy  heads  of  fami- 
lies in  Manchester,  he  removed  and  settled  among  them, 
and  continued  upwards  of  thirteen  years,  pastor  of  the 
church  which  he  established  there. 

This  church,  like  that  of  Wallingford,  wishing  to  let 
alone  contention,  before  it  is  meddled  with,  left  the  Asso- 
ciation at  the  same  time,  and  yet  remains  out  of  it.  Mr, 
Cornell  left  them  before  this  tnne.  Its  circumstances  are 
prosperous,  being  under  the  care  of  a  worthy  minister, 
whose  name  is  Calvin  Chamberlain. 

There  is  also  an  unassociated  church  In  East-Clarendon, 
which  is  now  supplied  by  an  Elder  M'Culler. 

MiDDLETowN.  The  church  here  was  Constituted,  Oc- 
tober, 1782.  It  remained  without  a  pastor  until  1790, 
w4ien  Mr.  Sylvanus  Haynes,  a  native  of  Princeton,  Mas- 
sachusetts, was  settled  among  them,  under  whose  minis- 
try they  have  been  edified  and  built  up  to  a  large  and  re- 
spectable body. 

PouLTNEY.  This  church  was  constituted  in  1785. 
It  was  formed  upon  Calvinistick  principles,  but  on  the  plan 
of  open  comnmnion,  which  plan  was  continued  a  number 
of  years,  but  has  long  since  been  given  up.  This  church 
was  small,  and  in  a  measure  destitute  of  preaching  for  many 
years.  In  1801,  it  was  reduced  to  fifteen  members,  who 
thought  best  to  attach  themselves  to  the  church  in  Middle- 
town,  under  the  character  of  a  branch  of  that  body.  But 
the  next  year,  having  Mr.  Clark  Kendrick  to  preach 
among  them,  they  again  resumed  their  travel  as  a  distinct 
church  ;  Mr.  Kendrick  was,  soon  after,  ordained  over 
them,  and  still  continues  their  much  respected  pastor. 
Mr.  Kendrick  was  born  in  Hanover,  New-Hampshire,  in 


5 50  Richmond  Association, ...Its  Ministers. 

1776,  and  is  a  brother  of  Ariel  Kendrick,  of  Cornish  in 
that  State. 

I  have  not  received  accounts  from  any  other  churches  in 
this  Association,  except  the  one  in  Middlebury,  which 
was  formed  in  1809,  and  is  now  under  the  care  of  Na- 
thaniel Kendrick,  who  was  formerly  in  Lansingburg,  New- 
York.  Some  sketches  of  a  number  of  others  would 
doubtless  be  as  interesting  as  those  which  have  been  giv- 
en, but  as  they  have  not  been  forwarded  as  was  expected, 
they  must  of  necessity  be  omitted. 

RICHMOND     ASSOCIATION. 

This  Association  is  situated  northward  of  the  Vermont, 
and  extends  from  Onion  river  to  the  northern  boundaries 
of  the  State,  and  three  of  the  churches  are  in  the  province 
of  Lower  Canada.  It  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  lake 
Champlain,  and  extends  eastward  to  the  Green  Mountains, 
and  is  in  the  counties  of  Chittenden,  Franklin,  and  Orleans. 

This  Association  was  begun  with  not  more  than  four 
or  five  churches,  in  1795,  and  although  it  has  been  gradu- 
ally increasing  from  its  beginning,  it  has  not  yet  become 
large.  Respecting  the  history  of  the  churches  in  this  es- 
tablishment, I  have  obtained  scarcely  any  information,  ex- 
cept that  some  were  raised  up  by  the  labours  of  Elders 
Jedidiah  Hibbard,  from  New-Hampshire,  and  Joseph  Call, 
from  Woodstock,  in  this  State.  I  find,  also,  that  Elders 
EzraWillmarth,  now  of  Weare,  New-Hampshire,  Sam- 
uel Rogers,  at  present  in  Galway,  New- York,  and  Elisha 
Andrews,  of  Templeton,  Massachusetts,  were  preaching 
within  the  bounds  of  this  Association,  in  the  early  part  of 
its  movements. 

Elder  Ezra  Buder,  who  has  long  been  in  the  State 
Legislature,  a  member  of  the  Senate,  a  county  Judge,  and 
who  is  now  a  member  of  Congress,  belongs  to  this  Asso- 
ciation, and  resides  at  Waterbury,  on  Onion  river.  Three 
churches  in  the  Richmond  Association,  viz.  Sutton,  Hat- 
ley,  and  Stanstead,  and  St.  Armond,  are  in  the  province 
of  Lower  Canada. 

I  have  lately  been  informed  that  this  Association  has 
changed  its  name  to  that  of  Fairfield,  and  that  the  churches 
in  Canada  which  contain  about  two  hundred  members,  are 
not  included  in  it. 


The  ecclesiastical  Laws  of  Vermont  all  done  away.     551 

Besides  those  already  mentioned,  there  are  two  other 
small  Associations  in  this  State,  which  are  situated  on  the 
cast  side  of  the  mountains.  These  Associations  are  Barre 
and  Danville. 

The  Barre  Association  lies  immediately  north  of  the 
Woodstock.  It  was  formed  about  1807,  of  six  or  seven 
churches,  and  is  yet  very  small.  It  is  situated  in  the 
counties  of  Orange,  Caledonia,  and  Jefferson.  The 
churches  of  Hanover  and  Lyme  are  in  the  county  of  Graf- 
ton in  New-Hampshire. 

The  Danville  Association  lies  still  north  of  the  Barre, 
mostly  in  the  county  of  Caledonia.  It  was  formed  of  four 
or  five  small  churches,  about  1810.  This  Association  is 
mostly  the  fruits  of  Missionary  labours. 

The  unassociated  churches  in  this  State  will  be  brought 
into  the  list  of  Associations  and  Churches. 

There  are  a  number  of  Baptist  churches  in  this  State 
of  the  Freewill  order,  which  will  be  taken  notice  of  in  the 
history  of  that  community. 

Although  many  of  our  brethren  were  amongst  the  first 
settlers,  in  most  parts  of  this  State,  yet  the  greater  part  of 
the  settlers  were  of  the  Congregational  order,  from  the 
States  of  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut.  These  people 
carried  with  them  the  religious  maxims  of  their  native 
States,  and  by  their  influence  the  country  was  divided  in- 
to parishes,  in  most  of  which  Congregational  churches 
were  established,  and  a  law  was  passed  similar  to  those 
in  the  other  New-England  States,  empowering  these  par- 
ishes to  levy  a  general  tax  for  building  meeting-houses, 
and  supporting  their  ministers.  The  Baptists  in  a  few- 
instances,  and  but  a  few,  have  been  oppressed  with  these 
taxes.  But  now,  all  laws,  regulating  religious  worship, 
are  done  away,  and  the  gospel  is  left  in  Vermont  as  it  is 
in  all  the  other  United  States  except  three,  and  as  it  ought 
to  be  every  where,  and  as  we  believe  it  finally  will  be,  to 
be  supported  by  the  voluntary  contributions  of  its  advo- 
cates and  friends. 

A  brief  account  of  the  nature,  progress,  and  abrogation 
of  these  laws  will  now  be  given. 

I  do  not  find  that  any  laws  were  made  in  Vermont, 
with  regard  to  religion,  until  1797.  Then  an  act  was 
passed  for  the  support  of  the  gospel,  &c.  the  substance  of 


352       If' hat  the  Vermont  ecclesiastical  Lai\js  ivere. 

which  was  to  empower  the  inhabitants  of  every  town  or 
parish  in  the  State,  (in  which  there  should  be  twenty-five 
voters)  to  associate  for  rehgious  purposes,  to  levy  and  col- 
lect taxes,  to  build  meeting-houses,  and  to  hire  and  sup- 
port religious  teachers  of  such  denomination,  as  a  majori- 
ty  of  such  town  or  parish  thought  proper.  And  every  per- 
son of  "  adult  age,  was,  by  said  act,  considered  as  being 
of  the  religious  opinion  and  sentiment  of  such  society,  and 
liable  to  be  taxed,  after  residing  in  said  town  or  parish 
one  year,  unless  he  sliould,  previous  to  the  vote  for  rais- 
ing taxes,  &:c.  obtain,  and  procure  to  be  recorded  in  the 
Town  Clerk's  office  in  said  town,  a  certificate  of  his  differ- 
ent belief,  signed  by  some  minister  of  the  gospel,  deacon, 
elder,  moderator,  or  clerk  of  the  church,  congregation, 
sect  or  denomination,  to  which  he  belonged." 

This  statute  remained  in  force,  until  the  3d  of  Novem- 
ber, 1801,  when  the  Legislature  passed  an  act,  repealing 
so  much  of  the  former  act,  as  related  to  procuring  certifi- 
cates ;  but  still  considered  the  voters  in  such  town  or  par- 
ish of  the  religious  opinion  of  such  society,  and  made 
them  liable  to  be  taxed  for  religious  purposes  ;  unless 
they  should,  individually,  previous  to  any  vote  of  said  so- 
ciety, &c.  deliver  to  the  clerk  of  such  town  a  declaration 
in  writing,  vi-ith  their  names  thereto  subscribed,  in  the  fol- 
lowing words,  "  I  do  not  agree  in  religious  opinion,  with 
a  majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  town,"  or  parish,  8cc. 

Thus  stood  the  law  until  the  24th  day  of  October,  1807, 
when  the  Legislature  passed  an  act,  repealing  all  the  stat- 
utes on  the  subject,  except  the  section  relating  to  volunta- 
ry associations,  and  contracts  individually  entered  into."*" 

The  bill  which  proposed  this  law,  which  is  so  conge- 
nial with  every  principle  of  religious  freedom,  was  two 
sessions  before  the  Vermont  Assembly,  and  was  support- 
ed by  the  united  exertions  of  the  great  body  of  dissenters. 
Messrs.  Aaron  Leland  and  Ezra  Buder  were  at  this  time 
members  of  the  State  Legislature.  Leland  was  Speaker 
of  the  Lower  House,  and  Butler  was  an  active  member  of 
the  Senate.  It  is  generally  thought  that  our  ministering 
brethren  had  better  keep  at  home,  than  to  engage  in  the 
bustle  of  p^itical  affairs.  But  on  this  occasion,  these 
< 
*  This  inlbrraation  was  communicated  by  Cephas  L.  Rockwood,  Esq. 
of  Chester. 


Closing  Obseriiations^  ^c.  3^3 

two  ministers  did  much  good.  This  bill  was  much  con- 
tested. In  the  Lower  House  it  was  debated  by  a  com= 
mittee  of  the  whole,  which  brought  Mr.  Leland  on  the 
floor.  Both  he  and  Mr.  Butler  zealously  and  ably  advo- 
cated it,  and  exhibited  with  much  perspicuity  and  effect 
those  unanswerable  arguments,  which  the  Baptists  al- 
ways urge  against  supporting  religion  by  law.  They 
were  seconded  by  many  gentlemen  of  different  per- 
suasions. But  their  arguments  were,  at  the  same  time, 
violently  opposed  by  many  powerful  adversaries.  But 
the  spirit  of  freedom  prevailed,  and  the  bill,  to  the  hon- 
our of  the  valiant  Green  Mountain  men,  finally  passed 
into  a  law. 

Many  had  very  alarming  apprehensions  of  the  levelling 
consequences  of  this  law  ;  none  of  them,  however,  have 
been  realized.  There  were,  at  this  time,  about  a  hundred 
Congregational  ministers  settled  in  this  State,  but  not  one 
of  them  was  displaced  in  consequence  of  this  law.  They 
were  a  worthy  set  of  men,  and  as  soon  as  their  churches 
and  congregations  saw  the  law  was  repealed,  which 
empowered  them  to  raise  money  for  their  support, 
they  set  about  raising  it  in  other  ways,  and  all  of 
them  were  supported  as  well  without  law,  as  they  had 
been  with. 

This  would  doubtless  be  the  case  generally  in  the  other 
New-England  States.  But  the  ministers  there  have  so 
long  been  accustomed  to  lean  on  the  strong  arm  of  the 
civil  power  for  their  support,  that  they  are  afraid  to  stand 
up  and  trust  to  the  voluntary  contributions  of  their  flocks. 
And  it  is  highly  probable  that  many  of  them  would  make 
out  poorly  indeed.  But  those  who  are  worth  having, 
would  be  supported,  and  those,  who  are  not,  ought  to  dig 
for  themselves,  and  it  is  no  matter  how  soon  they  are 
displaced. 


VOL.  I.  45 


354    Baptists  among  the  first  Settlers  in  Massachusetts, 

CHAP.  XII. 
MASSACHUSETTS. 

THERE  was  not  any  church  of  the  Baptist  order 
founded  in  this  State,  until  more  than  forty  years  after  its 
settlement ;  but  there  were  at  first,  and  all  along  during 
this  period,  some  persons  of  the  Baptist  persuasion,  or  to 
speak  in  the  language  of  that  day,  persons  tinctured  with 
Anabaptistical  errors,  intermixed  with  the  inhabitants. 
And  before  we  proceed  to  the  churches  and  associations 
in  this  Commonwealth,  we  shall  exhibit  in  one  view,  the 
number,  names,  circumstances,  and  sufferings  of  our 
brethren,  and  of  those  who  were  baptistically  inclined,  ia 
this  boasted  asylum  of  religious  freedom,  up  to  the  year 
1663,  when  the  first  church  in  Swansea' was  founded. 

It  is  asserted  by  Dr.  Mather,  in  his  Magnalia,  that 
"some  of  the  first  planters  in  New- England  were  Bap- 
tists ;"  and  this  assertion  is  corroborated  bv  some  of  the 
laws  and  letters  which  will  be  mentioned  in  the  following 
sketches.  Roger  Williams  was  not  a  Baptist  practically 
while  he  resided  in  this  government,  but  he,  nevertheless, 
began  here  his  baptistical  career,  and  it  is  evident  that  the 
fear  of  the  consequences  of  his  popular  ministry  induced 
the  priest-led  magistrates  to  pass  the  cruel  sentence  of 
banishment  against  him.  While  he  was  at  Plymouth,  it 
was  feared  "  that  he  w'ould  run  the  same  course  of  rigid 
separation  and  Anabaptistry,  which  Mr.  John  Smith  of 
Amsterdam  had  done  ;"  and  after  he  went  to  Salem,  it  is 
said,  that  "in  one  year's  time  he  filled  that  place  with 
principles  of  rigid  separation,  tending  to  Anabaptism.''''^^ 
Jinabaptism^  m  the  view  of  the  Massachusetts  people,  was 
a  heretical  monster,  of  which  they  were  most  terribly 
afraid. 

It  has  always  been  found  that  the  leading  principles  of 
the  first  reformers,  when  carried  forward  to  their  legiti- 
mate consequences,  will  endanger  the  cause  of  infant 
baptism.  *'  Bishop  Sanderson  says,  that  the  I^ev.  Arch- 
bishop Whitgift,  and  the  learned  Hooker,  men  of  great 
judgment,  and  famous  in  their  times,  did  long  since  for- 

*  Backus,  Vol.  1,  p.  56. 


The  first  Settlers  afraid  of  the  Baptist  Sentiments.     355 

see,  and  declare  their  fear,  that  if  ever  Puritanism  should 
prevail  among  us,  it  would  soon  draw  in  Anabaptism  after 
it. — This,  Cartwright  and  the  Disciplinarians  denied,  and 
were  offended  at. — -But  these  good  men  judged  right, 
the}''  considered  only  as  prudent  men,  that  Anabaptism 
had  its  rise  from  the  same  principles  the  Puritans  held, 
and  its  growth  from  the  same  course  they  took  ;  together 
with  the  natural  tendency  of  their  principles  and  practices 
toward  it ;  especially  that  one  principle,  as  it  was  then  by 
them  misunderstood,  that  the  Scripture  was  adequata 
agendorum  regula^  so  as  nothing  might  be  lawfully  done 
without  express  warrant,  either  from  some  command  or 
example  therein  contained  ;  which  clue,  if  followed  as  far 
as  it  would  go,  would  certainly  in  time  carry  them  as  far 
as  the  Anabaptists  had  then  gone."  "This,  says  Mr. 
Callender,  I  beg  leave  to  look  on  as  a  most  glorious  con- 
cession, of  the  most  able  adversaries.  One  party  contend, 
that  the  scripture  is  the  adequate  rule  of  worship,  and  for 
the  necessity  of  some  command  or  example  there  ;  the 
other  party  say  this  leads  to  Anabaptism." 

The  Archbishop  and  Mr.  Hooker  were  by  no  means 
mistaken  in  their  conjectures  ;  for  so  many  of  the  Puri- 
tans as  adhered  strictly  to  that  one  principle,  that  the 
scripture  is  the  adequate  rule  of  worship,  did  become 
Anabaptists,  as  they  were  called ;  and  the  reason  why  all 
did  not,  was,  that  they  would  not  allow  'this  one  power- 
ful principle,  which  is  sufficient  to  demolish  the  whole 
fabrick  of  human  inventions,  to  operate  in  all  its  force 
against  infant  baptism,  but  threw  in  its  way  Abraham's 
covenant,  and  the  traditions  of  the  fathers. 

The  first  settlers  of  New-England  knew  by  what  they 
had  seen  at  home,  the  danger  of  the  Puritans  running  into 
Anabaptism  ;  or  to  speak  correctly,  their  disposition  to 
revive  to  its  apostolic  purity  the  ordinance  of  baptism  ; 
they  therefore  continually  made  use  of  every  precaution,  to 
hush  all  inquiries,  and  to  close  every  avenue  of  light  upon 
the  subject ;  and  although  we  condemn  their  methods,  we 
must  at  the  same  time  confess  that  they  were  attended 
with  too  much  success. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  the  Baptists  could  gain  much 
ground  in  either  of  the  colonics  of  Plymouth  or  Massa- 
chusetts.     It  is  probable,  however,  that  they  would  have 


356     Attempts  to  found  a  Baptist  Church  at  Weymouth . 

gained  establishments  here  much  sooner  than  they  did, 
notwithstanding  the  vehement  zeal  with  which  they  were 
opposed,  had  not  the  glorious  liberties  of  the  little  colony 
of  Rhode-Island  offered  them  an  asylum  so  much  to 
their  mind. 

But  notwithstanding  all  their  attempts  to  keep  them 
out  and  to  beat  them  down,  it  is  evident  there  have  been 
Baptists  in  this  state,  from  its  first  settlement,  which  is 
now  a  period  of  upwards  of  a  hundred  and  ninety  years ; 
and  some  distinguished  persons  resided  here  for  a  time, 
who  became  Baptists  after  they  left  the  colony  and  settled 
in  other  parts. 

Hansard  Knollys,  who  afterwards  became  a  very  dis- 
tinguished Baptist  minister  in  London,  came  over  to  this 
country  in  1638,  and  landed  at  Boston,  but  afterwards 
went  to  Dover  on  the  Piscataqua  river,  where  he  tarried  a 
few  years,  and  then  went  back  to  England. 

In  1639,  it  seems  there  was  an  attempt  to  found  a 
Baptist  church  at  Weymouth,  a  town  about  fourteen 
miles  south-east  of  Boston,  which  was,  however,  frustrated 
by  the  strong  arguments  of  interpo^;ing  magistrates.  John 
Smith,  John  Spur,  Richard  Sylvester,  Ambrose  Morton, 
Thomas  Mackpeace,  and  Robert  Lenthal,  were  the  prin- 
cipal promoters  of  this  design.  They  \\ere  all  arraigned 
before  the  General  Court  at  Boston,  March  13,  1639, 
where  they  were  treated  according  to  the  order  of  the  day  ; 
Smith,  who  was  probably  the  greatest  transgressor,  w-as 
fined  twenty  pounds,  and  committed  during  the  pleasure 
of  the  Court.  Sylvester  was  fined  twenty  shillings  and 
disfranchised.  Morton  was  fined  ten  pounds,  and  coun- 
selled to  go  to  Mr.  Mather  for  instruction.  Mackpeace 
had  probably  no  money  ;  he  was  not  fined,  but  had  a 
modest  hint  of  banishment,  unless  he  reformed.  Lenthal 
it  seems  compromised  the  matter  \\ith  the  court  for  the 
present ;  consented  to  ap[)ear  JDefore  it  at  the  next  ses- 
sion ;  was  enjoined  to  acknowledge  his  fault,  and  soon. 
How  matters  finally  terminated  with  him  1  do  not  find; 
but  it  is  certain  he  soon  after  went  to  Mr.  Clark's  settle- 
ment on  Rhode- Island,  and  began  to  preach  there  before 
the  first  church  in  Newport  was  formed. 

The  court  having  thus  dispersed  the  heretical  combi- 
nation, "  thought  fit  to  set  apart  a  day  of  humiliation,  to 


Mr.  Chauncey  for  dipping  Infants.  357 

seek  the  face  of  God,  and  reconciliation  with  him  by  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,    &c."* 

In  1640,  Mr.  Charles  Chauncey  came  over  to  this  coun- 
try ;  he  was  an  advociite  for  the  doctrine  of  dipping  in 
baptism,  but  at  the  same  time  held  that  infants  were 
proper  subjects  of  the  ordinance.  He  was  esteemed  a 
great  scholar  and  a  godly  man.  The  church  in  Ply- 
mouth were  anxious  to  settle  him  amongst  them  ;  but 
they  were  as  strenuous  for  sprinkling  as  he  was  for  im- 
mersion. "  There  was  much  trouble  about  the  matter. 
The  magistrates  and  the  elders  there,  and  the  most  of 
the  people,  withstood  the  reviving  of  that  practice,  (that 
is  immersion)  not  for  itself  so  much  as  for  fear  of  worse 
consequences,  as  the  annihilating  our  baptism,  &:c."t 
The  church  finally  proposed  that  Mr.  Reyner,  their  other 
minister,  with  wnom  he  was  to  be  associated,  should  do 
all  the  sprinkHng,  so  that  he  should  not  be  obliged  to 
administer  the  sacred  rite,  only  in  his  own  way  ;  but  with 
this  temporizing  proposal,  "  he  did  not  see  light  to  com- 
ply." For  although  he  was  but  half  right,  yet  he  was 
strong  so  far  as  he  had  gone.  From  Plymouth,  Mr. 
Chauncey  went  to  Scituate,  a  town  on  the  Massachusetts 
Bay,  about  twenty-eight  miles  southeast  of  Boston,  where 
he  was  settled  and  resided  many  years.  We  are  told 
that  *'  here  he  persevered  in  his  opinion  of  dipping  in  bap- 
tisniy  and  practised  accordingly,  first  upon  tv\o  othis  own 
children,  which  being  in  very  cold  weather,  one  of  them 
swooned  away  ;  another  having  a  child  about  three  years 
old,  but  fearing  it  would  be  frightened,  as  others  had  been, 
carried  it  to  Boston,  with  testimonials  from  (Chauncey, 
where  the  seal  of  the  covenant  was  impressed  upon  it  in  a 
milder  form." 

Mr.  Backus  well  observes,  that  "  Mr.  Chauncey's  grand 
difficulty  in  burying  in  Baptism,  was  his  admitting  subjects, 
who  had  not  the  faith  or  discretion  necessary  for  such  an  ac- 
tion."J 

There  is,  it  must  be  acknowledged,  a  conformity  be- 
tween babes  and  sprinkling.  Both  of  them  are  puerile 
things,  and  seem  well  fitted  for  each  other. 

*  Backus'  History,  Sic.  Vol.  I.  p.  113,  114. 

I  Winthrop's  journal  as  quoted  by  Backus. 

%  Backus'  History,  Sic.  vol.  I.  p.  115  and  145,  146. 


358     The  Lady  Moody  a  Baptht Painter  whipped^ 

The  same  year  in  which  Mr.  Chauncey  came  over,  a 
female  of  considerable  distinction,  whom  Governor  Win- 
throp  calls  the  lady  Moody,  and  who,  according  to  the 
account  of  that  candid  statesman  and  historian,  was  a  wise, 
amiable,  and  religious  woman,  "  was  taken  with  the  error 
of  denying  baptism  to  infants."  She  had  purchased 
a  plantation  at  Lynn,  ten  miles  northeast  of  Boston,  of  one 
Humphrey,  who  had  returned  to  England.  She  belong- 
ed to  the  church  in  Salem,  to  which  she  was  near,  where 
she  was  dealt  with  by  many  of  the  elders  and  others  ;  but 
persisting  in  her  error,  and  to  escape  tlie  storm  which  she 
saw  gathering  over  her  head,  she  removed  to  Long-Island 
and  setded  among  the  Dutch.  "  Many  others  infested 
with  Anabaptism  removed  thither  also."  Eleven  years 
after  Mrs.  Moody's  removal,  Messrs.  Clark,  Holmes,  and 
Crandal,  went  to  visit  some  Baptists  at  Lynn,  by  the  re- 
quest of  an  aged  brother,  whose  name  was  William  Wit- 
ter. This  circumstance  makes  it  probable,  that  although 
many  Anabaptists  went  off  with  this  lady,  yet  there  were 
some  left  behind.  We  shall  soon  have  occasion  to  take 
more  particular  notice  of  the  Baptists  in  this  place. 

In  1644,  we  are  informed  by  Mr.  Hubbard,  that  "  a  poor 
man,  b}'  the  name  of  Painter,  was  suddenly  turned  Ana- 
baptist, and  having  a  child  born  would  not  suffer  his  wife 
to  carry  it  to  be  baptized.  He  was  complained  of  for  this 
to  the  court,  and  enjoined  by  them  to  suffer  his  child  to  be 
baptized.  But  poor  Painter  had  the  misfortune  to  dissent 
both  from  the  church  and  court.  He  told  them  that  in- 
fant baptism  was  an  antichristian  ordinance,  for  which 
he  was  tied  up  and  whipt.  He  bore  his  chastisement  with 
fortitude,  and  declared  that  he  had  divine  help  to  support 
him..  The  same  author  W'ho  recorded  this  narrative,  inti- 
mates that  this  poor  sufferer  "  was  a  man  of  very  loose 
behaviour  at  home."  This  accusation  was  altogether  a 
thing  of  course  ;  it  w  ould  have  been  almost  a  miracle,  for 
a  poor  Anabaptist  to  have  been  a  holy  man.  Governor 
Winthrop  tells  us  he  belonged  to  Hingham,  and  says  he 
was  whipt  "  for  reproaching  the  Lord's  ordinance." 
Upon  which  Mr.  Backus  judiciously  inquires,  "  did  not 
they  who  whipt  this  poor,  conscientious  man,  reproach  in- 
fant sprinkling,  by  taking  such  methods  to  support  it, 
more  than  Painter  did  ?"* 

*  Backus'  Hist.  vol.  I.  p.  147,  148. 


Roger  WilUams  returns  from  England.  359 

About  this  time  Mr.  Williams  returned  from  England, 
with  the  charter  for  Rhode- Island,  and  landed  at  Boston. 
He  brought  with  him  a  letter,  signed  by  twelve  members 
of  Parliament,  addressed  to  the  Governor,  Assistants,  and 
people  of  Massachusetts,  exhortinp  them  to  lenient  meas- 
ures towards  their  dissenting  brethren,  and  towards  Mr. 
Williams  in  particular.  The  sentence  of  banishment  yet 
lay  upon  him,  which  these  noble  advocates  for  liberty  be- 
sought them  to  remove.  But  every  avenue  of  compunc- 
tion and  mercy  was  closed  ;  "  Upon  the  receipt  of  this 
letter  the  Governor  and  magistrates  of  Massachusetts 
found,  upon  examination  of  their  hearts,  no  reason  to  con- 
demn themselves  for  any  former  proceedings  against 
Mr.  Williams,  8=cc."* 

The  Baptists  and  those  inclined  to  their  sentiments  were, 
doubtless,  emboldened  by  the  favour  which  Mr.  Williams 
had  obtained  at  home,  and  by  knowing  that  he  had  ob- 
tained the  royal  assent  for  a  colony  which  would  afford 
them  an  asylum  in  time  of  danger.  About  this  time,  we 
are  told  by  Winthrop,  that  "the  Anabaptists  increased 
and  spread  in  Massachusetts."  This  increase  was  a  most 
fearful  and  ungrateful  sight  to  the  rulers  of  this  colony, 
and  was  doubtless  the  means  of  leading  the  General  Court 
to  pass  the  following  act  for  the  suppression  of  this  obnox- 
ious sect. 

"  Forasmuch  as  experience  hath  plentifully  and  often  proved,  that 
since  the  first  rising  of  the  Anabaptists,  about  one  hundred  years 
since,  they  have  been  the  incendiaries  of  commonwealths,  and  the  in- 
fectors  of  persons  in  main  matters  of  religion,  and  the  troublers  of 
churches  in  all  places  where  they  have  been,  and  that  they,  who  have 
held  the  V)aptizing  of  infants  unlawful,  have  usually  held  other  er- 
rors or  heresies  therewith,  though  they  have  (as  other  hereticks  use 
to  do)  concealed  the  same,  till  they  spied  out  a  fit  advantage  and 
opportunity  to  vent  them,  by  way  of  question  or  scruple  ;  and  where- 
as divers  of  this  kind  have,  since  our  coming  into  New-England,  ap- 
peared amongst  ourselves,  some  whereof  (as  others  before  them)  de- 
nied the  ordinance  of  magistracy,  and  the  lawfulness  of  fnaking  war, 
and  others  the  lawfulness  of  magistrates,  and  their  inspection  into 
any  breach  of  the  first  table;  which  opinions,  if  they  should  be  con- 
nived at  by  us,  are  like  to  be  increased  amongst  us,  and  so  must 
necessarily  bring  guilt  upon  us,  infection  and  trouble  to  the  church- 
es, and  hazard  to  the  whole  commonwealth  ;  it  is  ordered  and  agreed, 
that  if  any  person  or  persons,  within  this  jurisdiction,  shall  either 
openly  condemn  or  oppose  the  baptizing  of  infants,  or  go  about  se  • 

•  Hubbbarcl,  as  q\ioted  by  Backus,  vol.  I.  p.  155 — 6 


360        Reviarks  on  the  Laiv  against  the  Baptists • 

cretiv  to  seduce  others  from  the  approbation  or  use  thereof,  or  shall 
purposely  depart  the  congregation  at  the  ministration  of  the  ordi- 
nance, or  shall  deny  the  ordinance  of  magistracy,  or  their  lawful  right 
and  authority  to  make  war,  or  to  punish  the  outward  breaches  of  the 
first  table,  and  shall  appear  to  the  court  wilfully  and  obstinately  to 
continue  therein  after  due  time  and  means  of  conviction,  every  such 
person  or  persoiis  shall  be  sentenced  to  banishment.''^ 

This  was  the  first  law  which  was  made  against  the  Bap- 
tists in  Massachusetts.  It  was  passed  Novcinber  13th, 
1644,  about  two  months  after  Mr.  WiUiams  landed  in 
Boston  as  above  related.  Two  charges,  which  it  con- 
tains, Mr.  Backus  acknowledges  are  true,  viz.  that  the 
Baptists  denied  infant  baptism  and  the  ordinance  of  mag- 
istracy ;  or  as  a  Baptist  would  express  it,  the  use  of  sec- 
ular force  in  religious  affairs  ;  but  all  the  other  slanderous 
invectives  he  declares  are  utterly  without  foundation.  He 
furthermore  asserts,  that  he  had  diligently  searched  all  the 
books,  records,  and  papers,  which  he  could  find  on  all 
sides,  and  could  not  find  an  instance  then  (1777)  of  any 
real  Baptist  in  Massachusetts  being  convicted  of,  or  suf- 
ferinti^  for  any  crime,  except  the  denying  of  infant  baptism, 
and  the  use  of  secular  force  in  religious  affairs. 

If  a  Puritan  Court  in  the  seventeenth  century,  profes- 
sing to  be  illuminated  with  the  full  blaze  of  the  light  of 
the  Reformation,  could  thus  defame  the  advocates  for 
apostolic  principles,  will  any  think  it  strange  if  we  suspect 
the  frightful  accounts  which  were  gi\'en  of  them  in  darker 
ages  by  a  set  of  monkish  historians,  who  believed  that 
fraud  and  falhehood  were  christian  virtues,  if  they  could 
be  made  subservient  to  the  good  of  the  church? 

Mr.  Hubbard,  one  of  their  own  historians,  speaking  of 
their  making  this  law  says,  "  but  with  what  success  it  is 
hard  to  say  ;  all  men  being  naturally  inclined  to  pity  them 
that  suffer,  &c."  The  clergy  doubtless  had  a  hand 
in  framing  this  shameful  act,  as  they,  at  this  time,  were  the 
secretaries  and  counsellors  of  the  Legislature. 

Mr.  Backus'  observations  upon  these  measures,  and  the 
men  by  whom  they  were  promoted,  are  very  judicious. 
"Much  (says  he)  has  been  said  to  exalt  the  characters  of 
the  good  fathers  of  that  day  :  I  have  no  desire  of  detract- 
ing from  any  of  their  virtues  ;  but  the  better  the  men  were, 
the  worse  must  be  tlie  principles  that  could  ensnare  them 
in  such  bad  actions." 


Sir  Henry  Fane's  Letter.  361 

Mr.  Hubbard  informs  us,  that  "  at  a  General  Court  in 
March,  1645,  two  petitions  were  preferred,  one  for  suspend.^ 
ing  (if  not  abohshing)  a  law  made  against  the  Anabaptists 
the  former  year  ;  the  other  w'as  for  easing  a  law  of  like  na- 
ture made  in  Mrs.  Hutchinson's  time,  forbidding  the  en- 
tertaining of  any  strangers,  without  license  of  two  magis- 
trates, &c.  But  some,  continues  the  same  author,  at  this 
time  were  much  afraid  of  the  increase  of  Anabaptism. 
This  was  the  reason  why  the  greater  part  prevailed 
for  the  strict  observation  of  the  aforesaid  laws,  al- 
though peradventure  a  little  moderation  as  to  some 
cases  might  have  done  very  well,  if  not  better.  Ma- 
ny books,  coming  out  of  England  in  this  year,  some  in 
defence  of  Anaj^aptism  and  other  errors,  and  for  liberty  of 
conscience  as  a  shelter  for  a  general  toleratioii  of  all  opin- 
ions— led  the  ministers — of  all  the  United  Colonies  to 
meet  at  Cambridge,  &:c."  One  of  the  Anabaptist  books 
above  referred  to  was  sent  by  the  famous  John  Tombes^ 
It  was  an  examination  of  a  sermon  in  defence  of  infant 
baptism,  preached  by  Stephen  Marshall,  and  dedicated  to 
the  Westminster  Assembly.  Soon  after  the  news  reached 
England  of  the  law  to  banish  the  Baptists,  Mr.  Tombes 
sent  a  copy  of  his  work  to  the  ministers  of  New-England, 
and  with  it  an  epistle  dated  from  the  Temple  in  London, 
May  25,  1645,  "  hoping  thereby  to  put  them  upon  a  more 
exact  study  of  that  controversy,  and  to  allay  their  vehe- 
mency  against  the  Baptists."  "  But  the  Westminster 
Assembly,  says  Backus,  were  more  ready  to  learn  severity 
from  this  country,  than  these  were  to  learn  lenity  frorai 
any." 

Soon  after  Mr.  Tombes  sent  over  his  book  and  letter, 
Sir  Henry  Vane,  whose  interest  was  then  very  great  in 
Parliament,  wrote  to  Governor  Winthrop  as  follows  : 

*'  HONORED    SIR, 

**  I  received  yours  by  your  son,  and  was  unwilling  to 
let  him  return  without  telling  you  as  much.  The  exer- 
cise and  troubles  which  God  is  pleased  to  lay  upon  these 
kingdoms,  and  the  inhabitants  in  them,  teaches  us  pa^ 
tience  and  forbearance  one  with  another  in  some  measure, 
though  there  be  difference  in  our  opinions,  which  makes 
jne  hope,  that  from  the  experience  here,  it  may  al^p  b? 

VOL.    I.  4^ 


362      Cotton^  Cobbet^  Ward  write  against  the  Baptists, 

derived  to  yoursehes,  lest,  while  the  Congregational  v/ay 
amongst  you  is  in  its  freedom,  and  is  backed  with  powef> 
it  teach  its  oppugners  here,  to  extirpate  it  and  root  it  out, 
from  its  own  principles  and  practice.  I  shall  need  say  no 
more,  knowing  your  son  can  acquaint  you  particularly 
with  our  affairs.  Sir,  I  am  your  affectionate  friend,  and 
servant  in  Christ, 

H.  VANE. 
JuxVE   10,   1645. 

All  these  remonstrances,  however,  were  unavailing, 
and  the  bigoted  New-Englanders  persisted  in  their  perse- 
cuting career.  And  lest  their  exterminating  laws  should 
not  effect  the  business,  the  press  was  set  to  work  to  prevent 
the  alarniing  progress  of  A  nabaptistical  errors.  In  this  year, 
three  pieces  were  written  for  this  purpose  by  Messrs. 
Cotton  of  Boston,  Cobbet  of  Lynn,  and  Ward  of  Ipswich, 
then  called  by  its  Indian  name  Agawam.  Cotton  and 
Cobbet  lay  some  strange  charges  against  the  devil,  for 
seeking  to  undermine  the  cause  of  infant  baptism,  because 
it  is  not  commanded  in  the  Scripture.  The  reader  will 
doubtless  be  astonished  at  this  assertion  ;  but  let  him  read 
the  following  quotations  fairly  made,  and  then  he  may 
judge  whether  it  is  not  correct.  Mr.  Cotton  says,  Satan, 
despairing  of  success  by  more  powerful  arguments, 
"  chooseth  rather  to  play  small  game,  as  they  say,  tlianlose 
all.  He  now  pleadeth  no  other  argument  in  these  stirring 
times  of  reformation,  than  may  be  urged  from  a  main 
principle  of  purity  and  reformation,  viz.  That  no  duty  of 
God\'i  worship,  nor  any  ordi?iance  of  religion  is  to  be  adminis- 
tered in  the  church,  but  such  as  hath  just  warrant  from 
the  word  of  God.  And  in  urging  this  argument  against 
the  baptism  of  children,  Satan  transformeth  himself  into 
an  angel  of  light, "-^  and  so  on.  This  was  the  great  Mr. 
Cotton,  who,  for  many  years,  was  the  bishop  and  legisla- 
tor of  New-England.  He  was  doubtless  a  great  and  good 
man  ;  he  reasoned  well  on  many  subjects,  and  the  absur- 
dity of  his  arguments  here  must  be  ascribed  to  the  weak- 
ness of  the  cause  which  they  were  intended  to  support. 
His  successors  have  made  great  improvements  in  arguing 
this  point,    but  we  must   acknowledge  that  the  Baptists 

*  Cotton's  Grounds  and  Ends  of  Children's  Baptism,  p.  3>  4,  as  quoted  by 
Backus,  vol.  I.  p.  ITo. 


Cahbet^s  b''  Ward^s  Argume?its  equally  contemptible.      36.5 

have  made  none  at  all.  What  was  their  main  principle 
then^  is  their  main  principle  7iow,  They  wish  it  not  to 
be  altered  or  amended,  but  are  willing  it  should  stand 
just  as  Mr.  Cotton  has  stated  it.  It  has  ever  proved  an 
insurmountable  barrier  against  all  the  assaults  of  their  en- 
emies, and  so  far  as  it  is  permitted  to  operate,  is  sure  to 
beat  down  all  the  inventions  of  men.  But  the  greatest 
curiosity  is,  that  this  Reverend  Divine  accuses  the  devU 
of  helping  them  to  it.  • 

Mr.  Cobbet  accuses  Satan  of  having  a  special  spite  at 
the  seed  of  the  church.  He  says  it  is  one  of  Satan's  old 
tricks  to  create  scruples  in  the  hearts  of  God's  people 
about  infant  baptism.  And  Thus  it  is  written,  and  T/ms 
saith  the  Lord,  according  to  this  singular  divine,  are 
nothing  but  "  satanical suggestions.'''' 

The  Baptists  feel  perfectly  secure  against  this  kind  of 
logic,  and  the  deceivers  of  mankind  would  doubtless  be 
much  obliged  to  his  adversaries  if  they  would  never 
assault  his  kingdom  with  any  more  powerful  weapons. 

The  last  of  this  mighty  triumvirate  does  not  lay  so 
much  of  the  blame  to  satan  ;  but  his  arguments  are,  if 
possible,  still  more  weak  and  contemptible.  He  accuses 
the  Anabaptists  of  a  "  high  pitch  of  boldness  in  cutting 
a  principal  ordinance  out  of  the  kingdom  of  God."  He 
also  charges  them  with  the  crime  of  "  dislocating,  disgood- 
ing,  un/iallowing,  iransplacing,  and  franstiming  a  stated  in- 
stitution of  Jesus  Christ."  "  What  a  cruelty  is  it,"  says 
he,  "  to  divest  children  of  that  only  external  privilege, 
which  their  heavenly  Father  hath  bequeathed  them,  to  in- 
terest them  visibly  in  himself,  his  Son,  his  Spirit,  his  cov- 
enant of  peace,  and  the  tender  bosom  of  their  careful 
mother,  the  church.  What  an  inhumanity  it  is,  to  de- 
prive parents  of  that  comfort  they  may  take  from  the  bap- 
tism of  their  infants  dying  in  their  childhood  !"* 

Had  the  Pedobaptists  in  Massachusetts  assaulted  our 
brethren  with  no  weapons  more  powerful  than  their  pens, 
they  would  have  had  nothing  to  fear.  But  if  the  argu- 
ments of  their  divines  were  weak  and  contemptible,  those 
of  their  magistrates  were  strong  and  cruel,  as  we  shall 
soon  have  occasion  to  observe. 

*  Backus,  vol.  I.  p.  184, 


364       Roger  U^iUiams publishes  the  Bloody  Tenets  ^c. 

Hitherto  but  few  instances  of  corporal  punishments  had 
taken  place  among  our  brethren  in  the  Massachusetts  col- 
ony. Most  of  the  fathers  of  it  were  yet  ahve,  and  had 
grown  gray  in  the  midst  of  their  persecutions  at  home, 
and  their  labours  here.  It  is  charitably  doubted  by  some, 
whether  they  had  it  in  their  hearts  at  first  to  imitate  the 
bloody  scenes  from  which  they  had  fled.  Such  would 
suppose  that  their  threatening  legislative  acts  were  intend- 
ed merely  to  be  hung  out  as  a  terror  to  dissenters  from 
the  idol  uniformity  which  the}'  had  set  up.  But  be  that  as 
it  may,  they  had  established  a  priiiciplc  fraught  with 
blood.  Roger  Williams,  secure  in  his  little  colony  at 
Providence,  foresaw  the  sanguinary  storm,  which  was  ap- 
proaching, and  which,  according  to  his  prediction,  soon 
burst  upon  this  Common\\'talth,  and  blotted  its  annals 
with  an  indelible  stain.  With  a  view  to  open  the  eyes  of 
his  old  neighbours  and  associates  to  the  tendency  of  their 
maxims,  he  published  his  piece,  entitled,  "  The  bloody 
Tcnet^'''*  ^c.  as  early  as  1644.  But  remonstrances  were 
vain.  The  bloody  tenet  Vi'as  scrupulously  maintained, 
and  hurried  forward  to  its  baneful  consequences,  so  that 
in  1651,  the  Baptists  were  unmercifully  whipped,  and 
not  long  after,  the  Quakers  were  murderously  hung. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  give  an  account  of  a  scene  of 
suffering  peculiarly  cruel  and  afflictive. 

WV  have  already  seen  that  there  were  some  Baptists  at 
Lynn,  in  1640,  when  the  lady  Moody  left  the  place,  and 
it  is  probable  that  a  little  band  remained  there  until  the 
period  now  under  consideration.  In  July,  1651,  Messrs. 
Clark,  Holmes,  and  Crandal,  "  being  the  representatives 
of  the  church  in  Newport,  upon  the  request  of  William 
Witter  of  Lynn,  arrived  there,  he  being  a  brother  in  the 
church,  who,  by  reason  of  his  advanced  age,  could  not 
undertake  so  great  a  journey  as  to  visit  the  church."  This 
account  is  found  among  the  records  of  the  ancient  church 
at  Newport.  The  circumstance  of  these  men  being  rep- 
resentatives, leadjii  us  to  infer  that  something  was  designed 
more  than  an  ordinary  visit.  Mr.  Witter  lived  about  two 
miles  out  of  the  town,  and  the  next  day  after  his  brethren 
arrived,  being  Lord's  day,  they  concluded  to  spend  it  in 
religious  worship  at  his  house.  While  Mr.  Clark  was 
preaching  from  Rev.  iii.  10,  "  Because  thou  hast  kept  the 


Clark,  Holmes  and  Crandd  taken.  565 

V)ord  of  my  patience^  I  also  %vUl  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of 
temptation,  ivhich  shall  come  upon  all  the  world,  to  try 
them  that  dwell  upon  the  eartli,^^  and  illustratiiig  what 
was  meant  by  the  hour  of  temptation  and  keeping  the 
ivord  with  patience,  "two  constables,  (bays  he,)  came 
into  the  house,  who,  with  their  clamorous  tongues,  made 
an  interruption  in  my  discourse,  and  more  uncivilly  dis- 
turbed us  than  the  pursuivants  of  the  old  English  bishops 
were  wont  to  do,  telling  us  that  they  were  come  with 
authority  from  the  magistrate  to  apprehend  us.  I  then 
desired  to  see  the  authority  by  which  the}  thus  proceeded, 
whereupon  they  plucked  forth  their  warrant,  and  oiic  of 
them  with  a  treiubhng  hand,  (as  conscious  he  might  have 
been  better  employed)  read  it  to  us  ;  the  substance  where- 
of was  as  folloucth  : 

**  By  virtue  hereof,  you  are  required  to  go  to  the  house  of  Wil- 
*'  liam  Witter,  and  so  to  search  from  house  to  house,  for  certain  er- 
*'  roneous  persons,  beings  strangers,  and  them  to  apprehend,  and  in 
*'  safe  custody-  to  keep,  and  to-morrow  morning  at  eight  o'clock  to 
*'  bring  beiore  me, 

"  ROBERT  BRIDGES." 

*'  When  he  had  read  the  warrant,  I  told  them,  Friends, 
there  shall  not  be,  I  trust,  the  least  appearance  of  a  resist- 
ing of  that  authority  by  which  you  come  unto  us  ;  yet 
I  tell  you,  that  by  virtue  hereof,  you  are  not  strictly^  tied, 
but  if  you  please  you  may  suffer  us  to  make  an  end  of 
what  we  have  begun,  so  may  you  be  witnesses  either  to  or 
against  the  faith  and  order  w  hich  we  hold.  To  which  they^ 
answered  they  could  not.  Then  said  v\e,  not\\ ithstanding 
the  warrant,  or  any  thing  thereii»  contained,  you  may. 
They  apprehended  us  and  carried  us  away  to  the  ale- 
house or  ordinary,  where  at  dinner  one  of  them  said  unto 
us,  Gentlemen,  if  you  be  free  I  w  ill  carry  you  to  the  meet- 
ing. To  whom  it  was  replied,  Friend,  had  we  been  free 
thereunto  Me  had  prevented  all  this  ;  nevertheless  we  are 
in  thy  hand,  and  if  thou  wilt  carry  us  to  the  meeting 
thither  will  we  go.  To  which  he  answered.  Then  will  1 
carry  you  to  the  meeting.  To  this  we  replied,  If  thou 
forcest  us  into  your  assembly,  then  shall  we  be  constrain- 
ed to  declare  ourselves,  that  we  cannot  hold  communion 
with  them.  The  constable  answered.  That  is  nothing  to 
me,  I  have  not  power  to  command  you  to  speak  when 


566     Mr.  Clark  declares  his  Dissent. . . .  His  Reasons  for  it. 

you  come  there,  or  to  be  silent.  To  this  I  again  replied, 
Since  we  have  heard  the  word  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ, 
we  have  been  taught,  as  those  that  frst  trusted  in  Christ, 
to  be  obedient  unto  him  both  by  word  and  deed  ;  where- 
fore, if  we  be  forced  to  your  meeting,  we  shall  declare 
our  dissent  from  you  both  by  word  and  gesture.  After  all 
this,  when  he  had  consulted  with  the  man  of  the  house,  he 
told  us  he  would  carry  us  to  the  meeting ;  so  to  their 
meeting  we  were  brought,  while  they  were  at  their  prayers 
and  uncovered ;  and  at  my  first  ste[)ping  over  the  thres- 
hold I  unveiled  myself,  civilly  saluted  them,  and  turned  into 
the  seat  I  was  appointed  to,  put  on  my  hat  again,  and  sat 
down,  opened  my  book  and  fell  to  reading.  Mr.  Bridges 
being  troubled,  commanded  the  constable  to  pluck  off' our 
bats,  which  he  did,  and  where  he  laid  mine,  there  I  let  it 
Ii€,  until  their  prayers,  singing,  and  preaching  was  over ; 
after  this,  I  stood  up  and  uttered  myself  in  these  words 
following  :  I  desire  as  a  stranger  to  propose  a  few  things 
to  this  congregation,  hoping  in  the  proposal  thereof,  I 
shall  commend  myself  to  your  consciences  to  be  guided  by 
that  wisdom  that  is  from  above,  which,  being  pure,  is  also 
peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy  to  be  entreated  ;  and  there- 
with made  a  stop,  expecting  that  if  the  Prince  of  peace 
had  been  among  them,  I  should  have  had  a  suitable  an- 
swer of  peace  from  them.  Their  pastor  answered, 
We  will  have  no  objections  against  what  is  delivered. 
To  which  I  answered,  I  am  not  about  at  present  to  make 
objections  against  what  is  delivered,  but  as  by  my  ges- 
ture at  my  coming  into  your  assembly,  I  declared  my 
dissent  from  you,  so  lest  that  should  prove  offensive  unto 
some  whom  I  would  not  offend,  I  would  now  by  word  of 
mouth  declare  the  grounds,  which  are  these  :  First,  from 
consideration  we  are  strangers  each  to  other,  and  so  strang- 
ers to  each  other's  inward  standing  with  respect  to  God, 
and  so  cannot  conjoin  and  act  in  faith,  and  what  is  not  of 
faith,  is  sin.  And  in  the  second  place,  I  could  not  judge 
that  you  are  gathered  together,  and  walk  according  to  the 
visible  order  of  our  Lord.  Which,  when  I  had  declared, 
Mr.  Bridges  told  me  I  had  done,  and  spoke  that  for  which 
I  must  answer,  and  so  commanded  silence.  When  their 
meeting  was  done,  the  officers  carried  us  again  to  the  or- 
dinary, where  being  watched  over  that  night  as  thieves 


The  GoDernor^s  Challenge. . . . Mr.  Clark  accepts  it.     367 

and  robbers,  we  were  the  next  morning  carried  before 
Mr.  Bridges,  who  made  our  mittimus,  and  sent  us  to  the 
prison  at  Boston." 

About  a  fortnight  after,  the  court  of  assistants  passed  the 
following  sentences  against  these  persecuted  men,  viz. 
that  Mr,  Clark  should  pay  a  fine  of  twenty  pounds,  Mr. 
Holmes  of  thirty,  and  Mr.  Crandal  of  five,  or  be  publickly 
whipped.  They  all  refused  to  pay  their  fines,  and  were 
remanded  back  to  prison.  Some  of  Mr.  Clark's  friends 
paid  his  fine  without  his  consent.  Mr.  Crandal  was  re- 
leased upon  his  promise  of  appearing  at  their  next  court. 
But  he  was  not  informed  of  the  time  until  it  was  over, 
and  then  they  exacted  his  fine  of  the  keeper  of  the  prison. 
The  only  crime  alleged  against  Mr.  Crandal  was  his  be- 
ing in  company  with  his  brethren.  But  Mr.  Holmes  was 
kept  in  prison  until  September,  and  then  the  sentence 
of  the  law  was  executed  upon  him  in  the  most  cruel  and 
unfeeling  manner.  In  the  course  of  the  trial  against  these 
worthy  men,  Mr.  Clark  defended  himself  and  brethren 
with  so  much  ability,  that  the  court  found  themselves 
much  embarrassed.  "  At  length  (says  Mr.  Clark)  the 
Governor  stepped  up  and  told  us  we  had  denied  infant 
baptism,  and  being  somewhat  transported,  told  me  I  had 
deserved  death,  and  said  he  would  not  have  such  trash 
brought  into  their  jurisdiction  ;  moreover  he  said,  "  you 
go  up  and  down,  and  secretly  insinuate  into  those  that 
are  weak,  but  you  cannot  maintain  it  before  our  ministers. 
You  may  try  and  dispute  with  them."  To  this  I  had 
much  to  reply,  but  he  commanded  the  gaoler  to  take  us 
away.  So  the  next  morning,  having  so  fair  an  opportu- 
nity, I  made  a  motion  to  the  court  in  these  words 
following  : 

"  To  the  honourable  court  assembled  at  Boston. 

"Whereas  it  pleased  this  honoured  court  yesterdaj',  to  condemn 
the  faith  and  order  which  I  hold  and  practise  ;  and  after  you  had 
passed  your  sentence  upon  me  for  it,  were  pleased  to  express,  I  could 
not  maintain  the  same  against  your  ministers,  and  thereupon  pub- 
lickly proffered  me  a  dispute  with  them  :  Be  pleased  by  these  fevy 
lines  to  understand,  I  readily  accept  it,  and  therefore  desire  you  to 
appoint  the  time  when,  and  the  person  with  whom,  in  that  public 
place  where  I  was  condemned,  I  might  with  freedom,  and  without 
molestation  of  the  civil  power,  dispute  that  point  publickly,  where  1 
doubt  not  bv  the  strength  of  Christ  to  make  it  good  out  of  his  last 


368  Frholous  Rubbles  about  the  Challenge. 

will  and  testament,  unto  which  nothing  is  to  be  added,  nor  from 
which  nothing  is  to  be  diminished.  Thus  desiring  the  Father  of 
lights  to  shine  forth,  and  by  his  power  to  expel  the  darkness,  I  re- 
main your  well-wisher, 

"JOHN  CLARK. 
*'  From  the  prison,  this  7 
\st  day,  6th  mo.  l651.    3 

**  This  motion,  if  granted,  I  desire  might  be  subscribed  by  their 
Secretary's  hand,  as  an  act  of  the  same  court,  by  which  we  were  con- 
demned." 

This  motion  was  presented,  and  after  much  consultation, 
one  of  the  mas:istrates  informed  Mr.  Clark,  that  a  disputa- 
tion was  granted  to  be  the  next  week.  But  on  the  Mon- 
day following',  the  clergy  held  a  consultation,  and  made 
no  small  stir  about  the  matter,  for  althou.u:h  they  had  easi- 
ly foiled  these  injured  men  in  a  court  of  law,  yet  they 
might  well  anticipate  some  difficulty  in  the  open  field  of 
argument,  which  they  were  absolutely  afraid  to  enter,  as 
will  soon  appear.  Near  the  close  of  the  day,  the  magis- 
trates sent  for  Mr.  Clark  into  their  chamber,  and  inquired 
whether  he  would  dispute  upon  the  things  contained  in 
his  sentence,  &c.  "  For,"  said  they,  "  the  court  sentenced 
you,  not  for  your  judgment  and  conscience  ;  but  for  mat- 
ter of  fact  and  practice."  To  which  Mr.  Clark  replied, 
*'  You  sav  the  court  condemned  me  for  matter  of  fact  and 
practice  :  be  it  so.  I  say  that  matter  of  fact  and  practice 
was  but  the  manifestation  of  my  judgment  and  conscience  ; 
and  I  make  account,  that  man  is  void  of  jud;^ment  and 
conscience,  with  respect  unto  God,  that  hath  not  a  fact 
and  practice  suitable  thereunto.  If  the  faith  and  order 
which  I  profess  do  stand  by  the  word  of  God,  then  the 
faith  and  order  which  you  profess  must  needs  fall  to  the 
ground  ;  and  if  the  way  you  walk  in  remain,  then  the  way 
that  I  walk  in  must  vanish  away  ;  they  cannot  both  stand 
together  :  to  which  they  seemed  to  assent ;  therefore  I 
told  them,  that  if  they  please  to  grant  the  motion  under 
the  Secretary's  hand,  I  would  draw  up  the  faith  and  order 
which  1  hold,  as  the  sum  of  that  I  did  deliver  in  open 
court,  in  three  or  four  conclusions,  which  conclusions  I 
will  stand  by  and  defend,  until  he,  whom  you  shall  appoint, 
shall,  by  the  word  of  God,  remove  me  from  them  ;  m 
case  he  shall  remove  me  from  them,  then  the  disputatioix 
is  at  an  end.     But  if  not,  then  I  desire  like  liberty  by  the 


ne  Magistrates  consult  with  Mr.  Clark,  369 

word  of  God,  to  oppose  the  faith  and  order  which  he  and 
you  profess,  therel3y  to  try  whether  I  may  be  an  instru- 
ment in  the  hand  of  God  to  remove  you  from  the  same. 
They  told  me  the  motion  vvas  very  fair,  and  the  way  Hke 
unto  a  disputant,  saying,  because  the  matter  is  weighty, 
and  we  desire  that  what  can,  may  be  spoken,  when  the 
disputation  shall  be,  therefore  would  we  take  a  longer 
time.  So  I  returned  with  my  keeper  to  prison  again, 
drew  up  the  conclusions,  which  I  was  resolved,  through 
the  strength  of  Christ,  to  stand  in  defence  of,  and  through 
the  importunity  of  one  of  the  magistrates,  the  next  morn- 
ing very  early  I  shewed  them  to  him,  having  a  promise 
I  should  have  my  motion  for  a  dispute  granted  under  the 
Secretary's  hand." 

Mr.  Clark's  resolutions  were  four  in  number,  and  con- 
tain the  leading  sentiments  of  the  Baptists,  which  have 
been  the  same  in  ever\'  age  respecting  posili\e  institu- 
tions, the  subjects  and  mode  of  baptism,  and  gospel  liber^ 
ty  and  civil  rights.  But  while  he  was  making  arrange- 
ments and  preparing  for  a  public  dispute,  his  fine  was 
paid,  and  he  was  released  from  prison. 

Great  expectations  had  been  raised  in  Boston  and  its 
vicinity  respecting  this  dispute,  and  man}'  were  anxious 
to  hear  it.  And  Mr.  Clark,  knowing  that  his  adversaries 
w^ould  attribute  the  failure  of  it  to  him,  immediately  on 
his  release  drew  up  the  following  address  : 

**  Whereas,  through  the  indulgency  of  tender  hearted  friends, 
without  my  consent,  and  contrary  to  ray  judgment,  the  sentence  and 
condemnation  of  the  court  at  Boston  (as  is  reported)  have  been  fully- 
satisfied  on  my  behalf,  and  thereupon  a  warrant  hath  been  procured, 
by  which  I  am  secluded  the  place  of  my  imprisonment,  by  reasou 
whereof  I  see  no  other  call  for  present  but  to  my  habitation,'  and  to 
those  near  relations  which  God  hath  given  me  there  ;  yet,  lest  the 
cause  should  hereby  suffer,  which  I  profess  is  Christ's,  I  w  ould  here- 
by signify,  that  if  yet  it  shall  please  the  honoured  magistrates,  or 
General  Court  of  this  colony^  to  grant  my  former  request  under 
their  Secretary's  hand,  1  shall  cheerfully  embrace  it,  and  upon  your 
motion  shall,  through  the  help  of  God,  come  from  the  island  to  at- 
tend it,  and  hereunto  I  have  subscribed  my  name, 

JOHN  CLARK, 
"  ll^A  dayy  Qthmo.  1651." 

VOL.   I.  47 


S 70     The  Magistrates  address  Mr.  Clark. . . . His  Ansiver. 

This  address  was  sent  next  morning  to  the  magistrates, 
who  were  at  the  commencement  at  Cambridge,  a  short 
distance  from  Boston,  and  it  was  soon  noised  abroad  that 
the  motion  was  accepted,  and  that  Mr.  Cotton  was  to  be 
the  disputant  on  the  Pedobaptist  side.  But  in  a  day  or 
two  after,  Mr.  Clark  received  the  following  address  from 
his  timorous  adversaries  : 

MR.    JOHN    CLARK, 

"  We  conceive  jou  have  misrepresented  the  Governor's  speech,  in 
saying  you  were  challenged  to  dispute  with  some  of  our  elders  ; 
whereas  it  was  plainly  expressed,  that  if  you  would  confer  with  any 
of  them,  they  v/ere  al>le  to  satisfy  you,  neither  were  you  able  to  main- 
tain your  practice  to  them  by  the  word  of  God,  all  which  we  intended 
for  your  information  and  conviction  privately  ;  neither  were  you  en- 
joined to  what  you  were  then  counselled  unto  ;  nevertheless,  if  you 
are  forward  to  dispute,  and  that  you  will  move  it  yourself  to  the 
court  or  magistrates  about  Boston,  we  shall  take  order  to  appoint 
one,  who  will  be  ready  to  answer  your  motion,  you  keeping  close  to 
the  questions  to  be  propounded  by  yourself,  and  a  moderator  shall 
be  appointed  also  to  attend  upon  the  service  ;  and  whereas  you  desire 
you  might  be  free  in  your  dispute,  keeping  close  to  the  points  to  be 
disputed  on,  without  incurring  damage  by  the  civil  justice,  observ- 
ing what  hath  been  before  written,  it  is  granted  ;  the  day  may  be 
agreed,  if  you  yield  the  premises, 

JOHN  ENDICOTT,     Governor. 
THOMAS  DUDLEY,  Dep.  Gov, 
RICHARD  BELLINGHAM, 
WILLIAM  HIBBINS, 
INCREASE  NOWEL. 

Wth  day  of  the  6th  mo.  1651." 

This  communication  Mr.  Clark  answered  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  : 

"  To  the  honored  Governor  of   the  Massachusetts,    and  the  rest 
of  that  Honorable  Society  these  present. 

*'  WORTHY    SENATORS, 

"  I  received  a  writing  subscribed  with  five  of  your  hands,  by  way 
of  answer  to  a  twice  repeated  motion  of  mine  before  you,  which  was 
grounded  as  I  conceive  sufficiently  upon  the  Governor's  words  in 
open  court,  which  writing  of  yours  doth  no  way  answer  my  expecta- 
tion, nor  yet  that  motion  which  I  made  ;  and  whereas  (waving  that 
grounded  motion)  you  are  pleased  to  intimate  that  if  I  were  forward 
to  disj)ute,  and  would  move  it  myself  to  the  court,  or  magistrates 
about  Boston,  you  would  appoint  one  to  answer  my  motion,  &c.  be 
pleased  to  understand,  that  although  I  am  not  backward  to  maintain 


Mr.  Holmes^  Account  of  his  Sufferings,  371 

the  faith  and  order  of  my  Lord  the  King  of  saints,  for  which  I  have 
been  sentenced,  yet  am  1  not  in  such  a  way  so  forward  to  dispute,  or 
move  therein  lest  inconvenience  should  arise.  I  shall  rather  once 
more  repeat  ray  former  motion,  which,  if  it  shall  please  the  honored 
General  Court  to  accept,  and  under  their  Secretary's  hand  shall 
grant  a  free  dispute,  without  molestation  or  interruption,  I  shall  be 
well  satisfied  therewith  ;  that  what  is  past  I  shall  forget,  and  upon 
your  motion  shall  attend  it  ;  thus  desiring  the  Father  of  mercies,  not 
to  lay  that  evil  to  your  charge,  I  remain  your  well-wisher," 


*'  From  prison,  this  l-ith  ) 
dat/f  6t/i  month,  Ifol."    3 


JOHN  CLARK. 


Thus  ended  Mr.  Clark's  chastisement  and  the  Gover- 
nor's challenge.  The  last  communication,  which  he  had 
from  his  fearful  opponents,  was  indeed  signed  by  the  heads 
of  departments,  but  it  was  not  made  in  official  manner. 
yiv.  Clark  all  along  kept  in  view  the  law  which  had  been 
made  seven  years  before,  which  threatened  so  terribly  any 
one,  w^ho  should  oppose  infant  baptism.  This  was  the 
reason  of  his  requesting  an  order  for  the  dispute  in  a  legal 
form.  But  it  was  abundantly  evident  to  him,  as  it  will 
be  to  every  impartial  reader,  that  neither  the  great  Mr. 
Cotton,  nor  any  of  his  clerical  brethren,  dared  to  meet 
him  in  a  verbal  combat.  Infant  baptism  was  safe  while 
defended  by  the  su'ord  of  the  magistrate,  but  they  dared 
not  risk  it  in  the  field  of  argument.  Mr.  Clark  there- 
fore left  his  adversaries  in  triumph  ;  but  poor  Mr.  Holmes 
was  retained  a  prisoner,  and  in  the  end  experienced  the 
full  weight  of  their  cruel  intolerance.  An  account  of  his 
sufferings  is  thus  related  by  himself. 

«'  Unto  the  well-beloved  brethren,  John  Spillsbury,  William  Kiffen,  and 
the  rest  that  in  London  stand  fast  in  the  faith,  and  continue  to  walk 
stedt'astly  in  that  order  of  the  gospel,  which  was  once  delivered  unto 
the  saints  by  Jesus  Christ  :  Obadiah  Holmes,  an  unworthy  witness 
that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  and  of  late  a  prisoner  for  Jesus'  sake,  at 
Boston,    sendeth  greeting. 

Dearly  beloved  and  longed  after, 

"  ]My  heart's  desire  is  to  hear  from  you,  arid  to  hear  that  you  grow 
in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,   &c. 

"  Not  long  after  these  troubles  (at  Rehoboth  which  he  relates  in 
the  first  part  of  this  letter)  I  came  upon  occasion  of  business  into 
the  colony  of  the  Massachusetts,  with  two  other  brethren,  as  brother 
Clark  being  one  of  _the  two  can  inform  you,  where  we  three  were 


572  Mr.  Holmes^  Account  of  his  Sufferings. 

apprehended,  carried  to  Boston,  and  so  to  the  court,  and  were  all 
sentenced  ;  what  they  laid  to  my  charge  you  may  here  read  in  my 
sentence;*  upon  the  pronouncing  ol\vvhich,  as  1  went  from  the  bar, 
I  expressed  myself  in  these  words  ;  I  bless  God  I  am  counted  wor- 
thy to  suifer  for  the  name  of  Jesus.  Whereupon  John  Wilson  (their 
pastor,  as  they  call  him)  struck  me  before  the  judgment  seat,  and 
cursed  me,  saying,  tlie  curse  of  God  or  Jesus  go  with  thee  :  So 
we  were  carried  to  the  prison,  where  not  long  after  1  was  deprived  of 
my  two  loving  friends,  at  whose  departure  the  adversary  stept  in, 
took  hold  of  ray  spirit,  and  troubled  me  for  the  space  of  an  hour,  and 
then  the  Lord  came  in  and  sweetly  relieved  me,  causing  to  look  to 
himself,  so  was  I  stayed,  and  refreshed  in  the  thoughts  of  my  God  ; 
and  although  during  the  time  of  my  imprisonment,  the  tempter  was 
busy,  yet  it  pleased  God  so  to  stand  at  my  right  hand,  that  the  mo- 
tions were  but  sudden,  and  so  vanished  away  ;  and  although  there 
•were  that  would  have  paid  the  money,  if  I  would  accept  it,  yet  1 
durst  not  accept  of  deliverance  in  such  a  way,  and  therefore  my  an- 
swer to  them  was,  that  although  I  would  acknowledge  their  love  to  a 
drop  of  cold  water,  yet  could  1  not  thank  them  for  their  money,  if 
they  should  pay  it.  So  the  court  drew  near,  and  the  night  before 
I  should  suft'er  according  to  my  sentence,  it  pleased  God  I  rested 
and  slept  quietly  ;  in  the  morning  my  friends  came  to  visit  me,  de- 
siring me  to  take  the  refreshment  of  wine  and  other  comforts  ;  but 
my  resolution  was  not  to  drink  wine  nor  strong  drink  that  day,  until 
my  punishment  was  over  ;  and  the  reason  was,  lest  in  case  I  had 
more  strength,  courage,  and  boldness,  than  ordinarily  could  be  ex- 
pected, the  world  should  either  say  he  is  drunk  with  new  wine,   or 

*  "  The  sentence  of  Obadiah  Holmes,  of  Seaconk,  the  31st  of  the  fifth 
ino.  1651. 

"  Forasmuch  as  you,  Obadiah  Holmes,  being-  come  into  this  jurisdiction 
about  the  21st  of  the  5tli  mo.  <lid  meet  at  one  William  Witter's  house,  at 
Lynn,  and  did  here  privately  (and  at  other  times,  beini^  an  excommunicate 
person,  did  take  upon  you  to  preach  and  baptize)  upon  the  Lord's  day  or 
other  day.-?,  and  being  taken  then  by  the  constable,  and  coming  afterward  to 
the  assembly  at  Lynn,  did,  in  disrespect  to  the  ordinance  of  God  and  his 
worship,  keep  on  your  hat,  the  pastor  being  in  prayer,  insomuch  that  you 
woidd  not  give  reverence  in  vailing  your  hat,  till  it  was  forced  off  your  head, 
to  tlie  disturbance  of  the  congregation,  and  professing  against  the  institution 
of  the  church,  as  not  being  according  to  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  ;  and 
that  you,  the  said  Obadiah  Hohiies,  did,  upon  the  day  following-,  meet  again 
at  the  said  William  Witt.-r's,  in  contempt  to  autliority,  you  being  then  in  the 
custody  of  the  law,  and  did  there  receive  tlie  sacrament,  being  excommuni- 
cate, and  that  you  did  ba])tize  such  as  were  ba|)tizpd  before,  and  thereby  did 
r.ecessarily  deny  the  liaptism  that  was  before  administered  to  be  bajjtism,  the 
churtlies  no  churches,  and  also  other  ordinances,  and  ministers,  as  if  all  were 
a  nullity  ;  and  did  also  deny  the  law  fulness  of  baptizing  of  infants  ;  and  all 
this  tends  to  the  dishonour  of  God,  the  despising  the  ordinances  of  God  atnong 
tis,  the  peace  of  the  churclies,  and  seducing  tlie  subjects  of  this  common- 
wealth from  the  truth  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  perverting  the 
straight  ways  of  the  Lord,  tlie  court  doth  fine  you  30  pounds,  to  be  paid,  or 
sufficient  sureties  that  the  said  sum  shall  be  paid  by  the  lirsl  day  of  the  next 
Court  of  Assistants,  or  else  to  be  well  whipt,  and  that  you  shall  rcmam  in 
prison  till  it  be  paid,  or  security  given  in  for  it. 

"  By  the  Court, 

"  INCREASE  NOWEL." 


Mr.  Holmes^  Account  of  his  Sufferings. 


o  /o 


else  that  the  comfort  and  strenoth  of  the  creature  hath  carried  him 
through  ;  but  my  course  was  this :  I  desired  brother  John  Hazel 
to  bear  my  friend's  company,  and  1  betook  myself  to  my  chamber, 
where  1  might  communicate  with  my  God,  commit  myself  to  him, 
and  beg  strength  from  him.  1  had  no  sooner  sequestered  myself, 
and  come  itito  my  chamber,  but  satan  lets  fly  at  me,  saying.  Re- 
member thyself,  thy  birth,  breeding,  and  friends,  thy  wife,  children, 
name  and  credit  ;  but  as  this  was  sudden,  so  there  came  in  sweetly 
from  the  Lord  as  sudden  an  answer,  '  Tis  for  my  Lord,  1  must  not 
deny  him  before  the  sons  of  men,  (for  that  were  to  set  men  above 
him)  but  rather  lose  all,  yea,  wife,  children,  and  mine  own  life 
also  ;  To  this  the  tempter  replies,  Oh,  but  that  is  the  question,  is 
it  for  him  ?  and  for  him  alone  ?  is  it  not  rather  for  thy  own  or  some 
other's  sake  ?  thou  hast  so  professed  and  practised,  and  now  art  loth 
to  deny  it ;  is  not  pride  and  self  at  the  bottom  ?  Surely  this  tempta- 
tion was  strong,  and  thereupon  I  made  diligent  search  after  the  mat- 
ter, as  formerly  I  had  done,  and  after  a  while  there  was  even  as  it  had 
been  a  voice  from  heaven  in  my  very  soul,  bearing  witness  with  my  con- 
science, that  it  was  not  for  any  man's  case  or  sake  in  this  world,  t'.iat 
so  I  had  professed  and  practised,  but  for  my  Lord's  cause  and  sake, 
and  for  him  alone  ;  whereupon  my  spirit  was  much  refreshed  ;  as  also 
in  the  consideration  of  these  three  scriptures,  which  speak  on  this  wise. 
Who  shall  lay  any  thing  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect  Y  Although  I  walk 
through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil.,  th'j  rod 
and  thy  staff,  they  shall  comfort  me.  And  he  that  continueth  to  the 
end,  the  same  shall  be  saved.  But  then  came  in  the  consideration  of 
the  weakness  of  the  flesh  to  bear  the  strokes  of  a  whip,  though  the 
spirit  was  willing,  and  thereupon  I  was  caused  to  pray  earnestly  unto 
the  Lord,  that  he  would  be  pleased  to  give  me  a  spirit  of  courage  and 
boldness,  a  tongue  to  speak  for  him,  and  strength  of  body  to  suffer 
for  his  sake,  and  not  to  shrink  or  yield  to  the  strokes,  or  shed  tears, 
lest  the  adversaries  of  the  truth  should  thereupon  blaspheme  and  be 
hardened,  and  the  weak  and  feeble-hearted  discouraged,  and  for  this  I 
sought  the  Lord  earnestly  ;  at  length  he  satistied  my  spirit  to  give  up, 
as  my  soul,  so  my  body  unto  him,  and  quietly  to  leave  the  whole  dis- 
posing of  the  matter  to  him  ;  and  so  I  addressed  myself  in  as  comely 
a  rrianner  as  1  could,  having  such  a  Lord  and  Master  to  serve  in  this 
business.  And  when  I  heard  the  voice  of  my  keeper  come  for  me, 
even  cheerfulness  did  come  upon  me,  and  taking  my  Testament  in 
my  hand,  I  went  along  with  him  to  the  ))lace  of  execution,  and  after  a 
common  salutation  there  stood.  There  stood  by  also  one  of  t'ne  mag- 
istrates, by  name  Increase  Nowel,  who  for  a  while  kept  silent,  and 
spoke  not  a  word,  and  so  did  I,  expecting  the  Governor's  presence, 
but  he  came  not.  But  after  a  while  Mr.  Nowel  bade  the  execution- 
er do  his  office.  Then  1  desired  to  speak  afew  words,  but  Mr.  Now- 
el answered,  it  is  not  now  a  time  to  speak.  Whereupon  I  took  leave, 
and  said,  men,  brethren,  fathers,  and  countrymen,  I  beseech  you  give 
me  leave  to  speak  a  few  words,  and  the  rather  because  here  are  many 
spectators  to  see  me  punished,  and  t  am  to  seal  with  my  blood,  if 
God  give  strength,  that  v/hich  1  hold  and  practise  in  reference  to  the 
word  of  God,  and  the  testimony  of  Jesus.  That  which  1  have  to  say 
in  brief  is  this  :  although  I  confess  1  am  no  disputant,  yet  seeing  I  am 


574  Mr.  Holmes^  Account  of  his  Sufferings. 

to  seal  what  I  hold  with  my  blood,  I  am  ready  to  defend  it  by  the  w  ord, 
and  to  dispute  that  point  with  any  that  shall  come  forth  to  withstand 
it.  Mr,  Nowel  answered  me,  now  was  no  time  to  dispute.  Then  said 
I,  then  1  desire  to  give  an  account  of  the  faith  and  order  1  liold,  and 
this  I  desired  three  times,  but  in  comes  Mr.  Flint,  and  saith  to  the 
executioner,  Felloic,  do  thine  office,  for  this  fellow  xvould  but  make  a 
long  speech  to  delude  the  people.  So  [  being  resolved  to  speak,  told 
the  people,  that  which  1  am  to  suffer  for  is  the  word  of  God,  and 
testimony  of  Jesus  Christ.  ]No,  saith  Mr.  Nowel,  it  is  for  your  error, 
and  going  about  to  seduce  the  people.  To  which  I  replied,  not  for 
error,  for  in  all  the  time  of  my  iniprisonment,  wherein  I  was  left  alone, 
(my  brethren  being  gone)  which  of  all  your  ministers  in  all  that  time, 
came  to  convince  me  of  an  error;  and  when  upon  the  Governor's 
words  a  motion  was  made  for  a  publick  dispute,  and  upon  fair  terms 
«o  often  renewed,  and  desired  by  hundreds,  what  was  the  reason  it 
was  not  granted  ?  Mr.  Nowel  told  me,  it  was  his  fault  that  went 
away  and  would  not  dispute  ;  but  this  the  writings  will  clear  at  large. 
Still  Mr.  Flint  calls  to  the  man  to  do  his  office  :  so  before,  and  in 
the  time  of  his  pulling  off  my  clothes,  I  continued  speaking,  telling 
them,  that  I  had  so  learned,  that  for  all  Boston  I  would  not  give  my 
body  into  their  hands  thus  to  he  bruised  upon  another  account,  yet 
upon  this  1  would  not  give  the  hundredth  part  of  a  wampum  peague* 
to  free  it  out  of  their  hands,  and  that  I  made  as  much  conscience  of 
unbuttoning  one  button  as  I  did  of  paying  the  ^30  in  reference  there- 
unto. I  told  them  moreover,  the  Lord  having  manifested  his  love  to- 
wards me,  in  giving  me  repentance  towards  God,  and  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  so  to  be  baptized  in  water,  by  a  messenger  of  Jesus,  into 
the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  wherein  I  have  fellow- 
ship with  him  in  his  death,  burial  and  resurrection,  I  am  now  come 
to  be  baptized  in  afflictions  by  your  hands,  that  so  1  may  have  fur- 
ther fellowship  with  my  Lord,  and  am  not  ashamed  of  his  sufferings, 
for  by  his  stripes  am  I  healed.  And  as  the  man  began  to  lay  the 
strokes  upon  my  back,  1  said  to  the  people,  though  my  flesh  should 
fail,  and  my  spirit  should  fail,  yet  my  God  would  not  fail.  So  it 
pleased  the  Lord  to  come  in,  and  so  to  fill  my  heart  and  tongue  as  a 
vessel  full,  and  with  an  audible  voice  I  broke  forth,  praying  unto  the 
Lord  not  to  lay  this  sin  to  their  charge  ;  and  telling  the  people,  that 
now  1  found  he  did  not  fail  me,  and  therefore  now  1  should  trust  him 
forever,  who  failed  me  not ;  for  in  truth,  as  the  strokes  fell  upon  me, 
I  had  such  a  spiritual  manifestation  of  God's  presence,  as  the  like 
thereof  I  never  had  nor  felt,  nor  can  with  fleshly  tongue  express,  and 
the  outward  pain  was  so  removed  from  me,  that  indeed  I  am  notable 
to  declare  it  to  you,  it  was  so  easy  to  me,  that  I  could  well  bear  it, 
yea,  and  in  a  manner,  felt  it  not,  although  it  was  grievous,  as  the 
spectators  said,  the  man  striking  with  all  his  strength  (yea,  spitting 
in  his  hands  three  times,  as  many  affirmed)  with  a  three  corded 
whip,  giving  me  therewith  thirty  strokes.  When  he  had  loosed  me 
from  the  post,  having  joyfuhiess  in  my  heart  and  cheerfulness  in  my 
countenance,  as  the  spectators  observed,  I  told  the  magistrates,  you 
have  struck  me  as  with  roses  ;  and  said  moreover,  although  the  Lord 

*  A  vjampum  peague  is  the  sixth  part  of  a  penny  with  us.  Backus. 


Mr.  Holmes''  Account  oj  his  Siifferhigs.  375 

hath  made  it  easy  to  me,  yet  I  praj"  God  it  may  not  be  laid  to  your 
charge.  After  this,  many  came  to  me  rejoicing  to  see  the  power  of 
the  Lord  manifested  in  weak  flesh  ;  but  sinful  flesh  takes  occasion 
hereby  to  bring  others  in  trouble,  informs  the  magistrates  hereof, 
and  so  two  more  are  apprehended  as  for  contimpt  of  authority  ;  their 
names  were  John  Hazel  and  John  Spur,  who  came  indeed  and  did 
shake  me  by  the  hand,  but  did  use  no  words  of  contempt  or  reproach 
unto  any  ;  no  man  can  prove  that  the  first  spoke  any  thing,  and  lor 
the  second,  he  only  said  thus,  blessed  be  the  Lord  ;  yet  these  two  for 
taking  me  by  the  hand,  and  thus  saying  after  I  had  received  my  pun- 
ishment, were  sentenced  to  pay  forty  shillings,  or  be  whipt.  Both 
were  resolved  against  paying  their  fine  ;  nevertheless,  after  one  or 
two  days' imprisonment,  one  paid  John  Spur's  fine,  and  he  was  re- 
leased ;  and  after  six  or  seven  days'  imprisonment  of  brother  Hazel, 
even  the  day  when  he  should  have  suft'ered,  another  paid  his,  and  so 
he  escaped,  and  the  next  day  went  to  visit  a  friend  about  six  miles 
from  Boston,  where  the  same  day  he  fell  sick,  and  within  ten  days 
ended  his  life.  When  I  was  come  to  the  prison,  it  pleased  God  to 
stir  up  the  heart  of  an  old  acquaintance  of  mine,  who  with  much 
tenderness,  like  the  good  Samaritan,  poured  oil  into  my  wounds, 
and  plaistered  my  sores  ;*  but  there  was  present  information  given 
what  was  done,  and  inquiry  made  who  was  the  surgeon,  and  it  was 
commonly  reported  he  should  be  sent  for,  but  what  was  done  I  yet 
know  not.  Now  thus  it  hath  pleased  the  Father  of  mercies  so  to 
dispose  of  the  matter,  that  my  bonds  and  imprisonments  have  been 
no  hindrance  to  the  gospel,  for  before  my  return,  some  submitted  to 
the  Lord  and  were  baptized,  and  divers  were  put  upon  the  way  of 
inquiry.  And  now  being  advised  to  make  my  escape  by  night,  be- 
cause it  was  reported  there  were  warrants  forth  for  me,  1  departed  ; 
and  the  next  day  after,  while  I  was  on  my  journey,  the  constable 
came  to  search  at  the  house  where  I  lodged,  so  I  escaped  their 
hands,  and  was,  by  the  good  hand  of  my  heavenly  Father,  brought 
home  again  to  my  near  relations,  my  wife  and  eight  children.  The 
brethren  of  our  town  and  Providence,  having  taken  pains  to  meet  me 
four  miles  in  the  woods  where  we  rejoiced  together  in  the  Lord. 
Thus  have  I  given  you  as  briefly  as  1  can,  a  true  relation  of  things  ; 
wherefore  my  brethren,  rejoice  with  me  in  the  Lord,  and  give  glory 
to  him,  for  he  is  worthy,  to  whom  be  praise  forevermore  ;  to  whom  I 
commit  you,  and  put  up  my  earnest  prayers  for  you.  that  by  my  late 
experience  who  have  trusted  in  God,  and  have  not  been  deceived,  you 
may  trust  in  him  perfectly.  ^A'herefore  my  dearly  beloved  brethren, 
trust  in  the  Lord,  and  you  shall  not  be  ashamed  nor  confounded  ; 
so  I  also  rest. 

Yours  in  the  bond  of  charity, 

OBADIAH  HOLMES." 

*  In  a  manuscript  of  Governor  Joseph  Jenks,  wrote  near  one  hundred 
years  ago,  he  says,  "  Mr.  Holmes  was  whipt  tliirty  stripes,  and  in  such  an  un- 
merciful manner,  that  in  many  days,  if  not  some  weeks,  he  could  take  no  rest 
but  as  he  lay  upon  his  knees  and  elbows,  not  being  able  to  suffer  anv  part  o\ 
his  body  to  touch  the  bed  whereon  he  lay." 


376      Sir  Richard  Sahons tail's  Letter  to  Mr,  Cotton. 

Warrants  were  issued  out  against  thirteen  persons, 
whose  only  crime  was  showing  some  emotions  of  sym- 
pathy towards  this  innocent  sufferer.  Eleven  of  them  es- 
caped, aiid  two  only  were  apprehended  ;  their  names 
were  John  Spur  and  John  Hazel.  Spur  was  probably  the 
man  who  had  been  apprehended  at  Wty mouth.  Hazel 
was  one  of  Mr.  Holmes'  brethren  of  Rehoboth.  Both  of 
these  men  were  to  receive  ten  lashes  or  pay  forty  shillings 
apiece.  The  latter  they  could  not  do  with  a  clear  con- 
science, and  were  therefore  preparing  for  such  another 
scourging  as  they  had  seen  and  pitied  in  their  brother 
Holmes.  But  some  without  their  knowledge  paid  their 
fines.  Mr.  Backus  has  given  an  account  of  their  trial, 
and  the  depositions  which  were  preferred  against  them,  in 
which  nothing  more  was  pretended  than  that  they  took 
Mr.  Holmes  by  the  hand  when  he  came  from  the  whip- 
ping-post, and  blessed  God  for  the  strength  and  support 
he  had  given  him.  But  this  was  "a  heinous  offence,'* 
and  called  for  the  vengeance  of  the  civil  arm.  Mr.  Hazel 
was  upwards  of  sixty  years  old,  and  died  a  few  days  after 
he  was  released,  before  he  reached  home. 

Mr.  Clark  went  to  England  this  same  year,  where  he 
published  a  narrative  of  these  transactions,  from  which  the 
preceding  sketches  have  been  selected. 

These  measures  of  intoleiance  and  cruelty  tended  to 
promote  rather  than  retard  the  Baptist  cause.  And  many 
Fedobaptists,  both  here  and  in  England,  remonstrated 
with  much  severity  against  the  intemperate  zeal  of  their 
persecuting  brethren.  And  among  the  rest,  Sir  Richard 
Saltonstall,  one  of  the  Massachusetts  magistrates  then  in 
England,  wrote  to  Mr.  Cotton  and  Wilson  of  Boston  in 
the  following  manner  : 

*«  Reverend  and  dear  friends,  whom  I  unfeignedly  love  and 
respect, — It  doth  not  a  little  grieve  my  spirit  to  hear  what  sad  things 
are  reported  daily  of  your  tyranny  and  persecutions  in  New-England, 
as  that  you  fine,  whip,  and  imprison  men  for  their  consciences. 
First,  you  compel  such  to  come  into  your  assemblies  as  you  know 
will  not  join  you  in  your  worship,  and  when  they  shew  their  dislike 
thereof,  or  witness  against  it,  then  you  stir  up  your  magistrates  to 
punish  them  for  such  (as  you  conceive)  their  public  affronts. 
Truly,  friends,  this  your  practice  of  compelling  any  in  matters  of 
worship  to  do  that  whereof  they  are  not  fully  persuaded,  is  to  make 
them  sin,  for  so  the  apostle,  (Rom.  xiv.  23.)  tells  us,  and  many  are 
made  hypocrites  thereby,  conforming  in  their  outward  man  for  fear 


Mr.  Cotton'* s  Ans'wer.  377 

of  punishment.  We  pray  for  you,  and  wish  you  prosperity  every 
way,  hoped  the  Lord  would  have  given  you  so  much  light  and  love 
there,  that  you  might  have  been  eyes  to  God's  people  here,  and  not 
to  practise  those  courses  in  a  wilderness,  which  you  went  so  far  to 
prevent.  These  rigid  ways  have  laid  you  very  low  in  the  hearts  of 
the  saints.  I  do  assure  you  I  have  heard  them  pray  in  tiie  public 
assemblies  that  the  Lord  would  give  you  meek  and  humble  spirits, 
not  to  strive  so  much  for  uniformity,  as  to  keep  the  unity  of  thi^ 
spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace." 

MR.  COTTON'S  ANSWER. 

Honoured  and  dear  Sir^ 

"  My  brother  Wilson  and  self  do  both  of  us  acknowledge  youf 
love,  as  otherwise  formerly,  so  now  in  the  late  lines  we  received  from 
you,  that  you  grieve  in  spirit  to  hear  daily  complaints  aga!.;St  us. 
Be  pleased  to  understand  we  look  at  such  complaints  as  aicogether 
injurious  in  respect  of  ourselves,  who  had  no  hand  or  tongue  at  all 
to  promote  either  the  coming  of  the  persons  you  aim  at  into  our 
assemblies,  or  their  punishment  for  their  carriage  there.  Righteous 
judgment  will  not  take  up  reports,  much  less  reproaches  against  the 
innocent.  We  are  amongst  those,  whom  (if  you  knew  us  better) 
you  would  account  peaceable  m  Israel.  Yet  neither  are  we  so  vast 
in  our  indulgence  or  toleration,  as  to  think  the  men  you  speak  of, 
suffered  an  unjust  censure.  For  one  of  them,  (Obadiah  Holmes) 
being  an  excommunicate  person  himself,  out  of  a  church  in  Ply- 
mouth  patent,  came  into  this  jurisdiction,  and  took  upon  him  to  bap- 
tize, which  I  think  himself  will  not  say  he  was  compelled  here  to 
perform.*  And  he  was  not  ignorant  that  the  rebaptizing  of  an 
elder  person,  and  that  by  a  private  person  out  of  office  and  under 
excommunication,  are  all  of  them  manifest  contestations  against  the 
order  and  government  of  our  churches  established,  we  know,  by 
God's  law,  and,  he  knoweth,  by  the  laws  of  the  country.  As  for  his 
whipping,  it  was  more  voluntarily  chosen  by  him  than  inflicted  on 
him.  His  censure  by  the  court,  was  to  have  paid,  as  I  know,  30/. 
or  else  be  whipt  ;  his  line  was  offered  to  be  paid  by  friends  for  him 
freely,  but  he  chose  rather  to  be  whipt  ;  in  which  case,  if  his  suffer- 
ing of  stripes  was  any  worship  of  God  at  all,  surely  it  could  be 
accounted  no  better  than  will-worship.f  The  other,  (Mr.  Clark) 
was  wiser  in  that  point,  and  his  offence  was  less,  so  was  his  tine  less, 
and  himself  as  I  hear,  was  contented  to  have  it  paid  for  him,  where- 

*  What  an  evasion  is  this  '.  Sir  Richard  spake  of  compelling  persons  into 
their  worship,  and  Cotton  here  turns  it  as  if  he  meant  a  compelling  persons 
out  of  one  government  into  another  to  worship  in  their  own  way. 

■}•  "  Although  the  paying  of  a  fine  seems  to  be  but  a  small  thing  in  com.- 
parison  of  a  man's  parting  with  his  religion  ;  yet  the  paying  of  a  fine  is  the 
acknowledging  of  a  transgression  ;  and  for  a  man  to  acknowledge  that  he 
has  transgressed  when  his  conscience  tells  him  he  has  not,  is  but  little,  if 
any  thing  at  all,  short  of  parting  witli  his  religion  ;  and  it  is  likely  that  this  ■ 
might  be  the  consideration  pf  those  sufferers,"  <?o v.  J^xks, 

VOL.    I.  43 


378       T^he  sickening  Scene  of  barbarous  Persecution. 

lipon  he  was  released,*  The  imprisonment  of  either  of  them  wae 
no  detriment.  I  believe  they  fared  neither  of  them  better  at  home, 
and,  £  am  sure.  Holmes  had  not  been  so  well  clad  for  many- 
years  before. 

"  But  be  pleased  to  consider  this  point  a  little  further.  You 
think,  to  compel  men  in  matter  of  worship  is  to  make  them  sin.  If 
the  worship  be  lawful  in  itself,  the  magistrate  compelling  him  to 
tome  to  it,  compelleth  him  not  to  sin,  bat  the  sin  is  in  his  will  that 
needs  to  be  compelled  to  a  christian  duty.  If  it  do  make  men  hyp- 
ocrites, yet  better  be  hypocrites  than  profane  persons.  Hypocrites  give 
God  part  of  his  d»e,  the  outward  man,  but  the  profane  person  giveth 
God  neither  outward  nor  inward  man.  You  know  not,  if  you  think  we 
came  into  this  wilderness  to  practise  those  courses  here  which  we  fled 
from  in  England.  We  believe  there  is  a  vast  difference  between  menu's 
inventions  and  God's  institutions  ;  we  fled  from  men's  inventions,  to 
which  we  else  should  have  been  compelled  ;  we  compel  none  to 
men's  inventions.  If  our  ways  (rigid  ways  as  you  call  them)  have 
laid  us  low  in  the  hearts  of  God's  people,  yea,  and  of  the  saints, 
(as  you  style  them)  we  do  not  believe  it  is  any  part  of  their  saint-ship. 
Nevertheless,  I  tell  you  the  truth,  we  have  tolerated  in  our  churches 
some  Anabaptists,  some  Antinomians,  and  some  Seekers,  and  do  so 
still  at  this  day.  We  are  fsir  from  arrogating  infallibility  of  judg- 
ment to  ourselves  or  affecting  uniformity  ;  uniformity  God  never 
required,  infallibility  he  never  granted  us." 

Such  was  Mr.  Cotton's  logic  in  support  of  persecution^ 
and  Mr.  Ivimey  well  observes,  *'  that  we  have  happily  ar- 
rived at  a  period  when  arguments  are  not  necessary  to 
prove  the  absurdity  of  his  reasoning  ;"  and  he  also  ob- 
serves, "  that  the  severities  were  not  so  much  the  result 
of  the  disposhion  of  these  New-England  persecutors,  as 
of  the  principles  which  they  had  adopted." 

What  on  earth  can  be  more  shocking  to  any  being,  who 
has  human  feelings,  than  to  see  a  humble  and  devout 
christian,  who  renders  to  Cesar  what  is  his  due,  merely 
for  not  believing  some  things  which  his  brethren  believe, 
arrested  in  his  peaceful  and  pious  coiu\sc,  sentenced  to  be 
tied  to  a  public  whipping  post  like  a  malefactor,  and  there 
to  ha\e  his  body  barbarously  scourged,  to  chastise  and  cure 
the  conscientious  scruples  of  his  mind  ;  and  all  this  by 
his  countrymen,  his  neighbours  ;  yea,  by  his  fellow  chris- 
tians, ^\  ho  profess  to  worship  the  same  God,  and  trust  for 
salvation  in  the  same  Redeemer  !  Who  can  contemplate 
such  a  scene  of  barbarity  without  being  sickened  at  the  sight, 
and  retiring  from  it  with  disgust  and  horror  !   To  say  noth- 

*  If  the  reader  will  look  back  to  page  369  and  read  Mr.  Claik's  letter  to 
the  magistrates,  he  will  see  how  contrarv  this  is  to  truth. 


President  Dunstar  of  Hart^ard  Unhersity.        379 

ing  of  hanging,  burning,  and  torturing  to  death,  with  all 
the  murderous  engines,  which  hellish  ingenuity  can  in- 
vent, the  circumstance  merely  of  one  christian  beating 
another  thirty  strokes  with  a  three-corded  whip,  for  con- 
science' sake,  is  a  scene  on  which  heaven  must  frown,  the 
earth  on  which  it  is  perpetrated  must  groan,  and  candid 
devils  (if  such  there  are)  must  be  astonished  and  confound- 
ed  at  the  folly  and  absurdity  of  men. 

In  the  period  now  under  review,  I  fiiKl  but  one  more 
eveni,  of  any  considerable  imiwrtance  as  it  respects  the 
Baptists  or  their  sentiments,  and  that  was  the  case  of  Pres- 
ident Dunstar.  This  learned  gendeman  was  the  first 
President  of  Cambridge  College  or  Harvard  University. 
He  was  a  native  of  England,  but  vvlien  and  where  he  was 
born  I  do  not  find  ;  he  became  the  President  of  this  then 
infant  institution  in  1640,  in  which  office  he  continued 
with  much  reputation  and  success  about  thirteen  years. 
By  the  united  testimonies  of  Johnson,  Hubbard,  and 
Prince,  he  was  a  man  of  profound  erudition,  and  "an  or- 
thodox preacher  of  the  truths  of  Christ."  This  eminent 
man,  in  1653,  was  brought  so  far  on  to  the  Baptist 
ground,  that  "  he  not  only  forbore  to  present  an  infant  of 
his  own  unto  baptism,  but  also  thought  himself  under 
some  obligations  to  bear  his  testimony  in  some  sermons, 
against  the  administration  of  baptism  to  any  infant  what- 
ever." For  this  defection  he  was  immediately  opposed 
with  violence,  and  soon  after  removed  from  the  town,  and 
settled  at  Scituate  in  Plymouth  Colony,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days.  What  progress  President  Dun- 
star made  in  his  pursuit  of  Baptist  principles  I  do  not  find, 
but  it  does  not  appear  that  he  ever  openly  espoused  the 
Baptist  cause.  Capt.  Cudworth,  writing  to  Mr.  John 
Brown  of  Rehoboth,  then  in  England,  in  1658,  says, 
*'  Through  mercy  we  have  yet  among  us  worthy  Mr. 
Dunstar,  whom  the  Lord  hath  made  boldly  to  bear  testi- 
mony against  the  spirit  of  persecution.''''  Morton  says  that 
he  fell  asleep  in  the  Lord,  in  1659. 

It  is  said  by  Mr.  Backus,  that  President  Dunstar  was 
kd  to  inquire  into  the  Baptist  sentiments,  by  the  persecu- 
tions against  Messrs.  Holmes,  Clark,  and  Crandal,  and 
that  his  preaching  against  infant  baptism  set  Thomas 
Gould  to  examining  the  subject ;  and  his  examination  is- 


586    Suggestions  and  Doubts  of  a  Pedo baptist  Minister. 

sued  in  the  founding  of  the  first  Baptist  church  in  Boston. 
While  this  learned  advocate  for  apostolical  baptism  was 
yet  in  Cambridge,  Mr.  Jonathan  Mitchel,  the  minister  of 
the  place,  went  to  converse  with  him  on  the  subject. 
"  When  I  came  from  him,  (says  he)  1  had  a  strange  ex- 
perience ;  I  found  hurrying  and  pressing  suggestions 
against  Pedobaptism,  and  injected  scruples  and  thoughts, 
whether,  the  other  way  might  not  be  right,  and  infant  h^^- 
Usm  Sin  inn; ention  of  men  ;  and  whether  I  might,  with  a 
good  conscience,  baptize  children,  and  the  like."  But 
all  these  "  unreasonable  snggestions,"  he  ascribed  to  the 
devil,  and  resolved  with  Mr.  Hooker,  that  "  he  would 
have  an  argument  able  to  remove  a  mountain  before  he 
would  recede  from,  or  appear  aL':ainst  a  truth  or  practice 
received  among  the  faithful  !"  What  an  expeditious  way 
of  silencing  one's  doubts  and  convictions  !  How  many 
have  we  reason  to  believe,  in  order  to  avoid  going  ovtr  to 
the  despised  Baptists,  have  entreiiched  themseles  uiih 
barriers  equally  irrational  and  strong  !  "  But  sure  1  am," 
says  Mr.  Backus,  "that  if  any  Baptist  miiuster  hud  to!d 
such  a  story,  and  made  such  an  absurd  resolution,  our  ad- 
versaries \\ould  then  have  such  grounds  to  charge  us  with 
'ijoilfulness  2C[\A  obstinacy  as  they  never  yet  had."* 

From  these  brief  sketches  of  the  early  Baptists  in  this 
common\^ealth,  we  shall  proceed  to  a  more  systematical 
narration  of  their  subsequent  affairs,  and  give  some  detail- 
ed accounts  of  the  churches  and  Associations,  which  have 
arisen  vithin  its  bounds. 

It  is  highly  probable,  that  the  late  severities  exercised 
towards  our  brethren  in  this  jurisdiction,  set  many  to  ex- 
amining into  their  principles,  and  we  may  also  suppose, 
that  those  Baptists,  who  had  hitherto  travelled  in  commu- 
nion with  the  Pedobaptist  churches,  some  of  whom  \\ere 
accused  of  the  profuiie  trick  of  turning  their  backs,  when 
infants  were  sprinkled,  were  now  constrained  to  come  out 
and  separate  themselves  from  a  chuich,  whose  tenets  were 
bloody,  and  which  had  now  begim  its  persecuting  career. 
These  events  I  state  as  probabilities,  not  being  in  posses- 
sion of  authentic  details.  But  certain  it  is  that  the  Bap- 
tists now  began  to  be  more  numerous  ;  they  were  also  en- 
couraged to  take  a  bolder  stand  against  the  encroachments 

•  Backus,  vol.  I.  pp.  282,  284,  320,  321. 


Ecclesiastical  Tyranny  shaken  by  the  War,         381 

of  their  adversaries,  their  terrible  legislative  threatenings, 
and  their  merciless  scourgings  notwithstanding. 

In  1665,  a  church  was  founded  in  Swansea,  and  two 
years  after  the  church  was  begun,  which  afterwards  took 
the  name  of  the  first  in  Boston.  In  1685,  a  church  was 
begun  in  Dartmouth,  about  seventy  miles  southwesterly 
from  Boston.  But  so  slow  was  the  progress  of  the  Bap- 
tists in  this  government,  that  in  a  hundred  years  from  the 
organization  of  the  church  in  Swansea,  they  had  planted 
but  eighteen  churches,  which  had  acquired  a  pei  manenc 
standing.  Some  few  besides  had  arisen  during  the  century 
which  had  lost  their  visibility  before  its  close.  Many 
were  the  oppressions  and  privations,  which  our  brethren 
suffered  in  this  boasted  asylum  of  liberty,  until  the  Amer- 
ican War.  That  calamitous  scene,  so  distressing  to  the 
country  otherwise,  was  nevertheless  peculiarly  auspicious 
to  the  cause  of  religious  liberty  in  this  commonwealth,  as 
well  as  in  other  colonies,  where  religious  establishments 
were  domineering  with  tyrannic  sway. 

Although  the  war  shook  very  sensibly  the  system 
of  religious  oppression,  it  was  not  the  cause  of  its  de- 
molition here  as  it  was  the  case  in  Virginia.  Many  of  its 
bands  were  indeed  broken,  yet  some  by  the  vigilance  of  a 
watchful  priesthood  were  preserved  entire.  In  the 
unsettled  state  of  affairs,  which  succeeded  the  war,  the  Bap- 
tists  with  Mr.  Backus  at  their  head  preferred  a  petition  to 
the  Legislature,  praying  "that  ministers  should  in  future 
be  supported  by  Christ's  authority,  and  not  at  all  by  as- 
sessment and  seculRr  force."  And  had  statesmen  been 
let  alone  in  their  discussions,  it  is  highly  probable  that 
this  petition  would  have  been  regarded  ;  but  the  clergy, 
poor  men,  were  afraid  to  be  left  on  this  precarious  ground  ; 
they  therefore  put  forth  their  cries  ;  legislators  heard 
them,  pitied  their  dangerous  condition,  and  disgraced  their 
State  Constitution  with  an  article  to  regulate  religious 
worship,  and  so  on. 

But  notwithstanding  the  failure  of  this  righteous  re- 
quest, our  brethren,  under  the  new  government,  found 
their  circumstances  materially  improved.  The  predomi- 
nant party,  it  is  true,  still  had  the  povver  of  oppressing 
them  in  certain  cases,  but  it  was  used  less  frequently  than 
formerly  ;  many  became  convinced  of  the  truth  of  Bap- 


382       The  number  of  Associations  in  Massachusetts. 

tist  sentiments,  and  embraced  their  communion,  and  ma- 
ny others,  who  went  not  so  far,  were  constrained  to  let 
.them  alone.  Many  new  churches  soon  arose  in  different 
parts  of  the  State,  so  that  by  the  year  1784,  their  Avhole 
number  arriounted  to  sixty-four.  Twenty  more  were 
added  to  this  number  during  the  ten  succeeding  years. 
And  the  number  of  churches,  as  well  as  communicants, 
■have  been  increasing  in  about  the  same  proportion,  from 
the  last  mentioned  period  to  the  present  time.  Their 
number  will  be  exhibited  in  the  General  Table. 

In  this  commonwealth  are  a  part  of  the  Warren  Asso- 
ciation, all  the  Boston  except  one  or  two  small  churches, 
part  of  those  named  Sturbridge,  Leyden,  Westfield,  and 
Shaftsbury.  Four  of  these  six  associations,  viz.  the  Bos- 
ton, Sturbridge,  Leyden,  and  Westfield,  are  considered 
as  having  their  seat  in  Massachusetts,  and  those  of  War- 
ren and  Shaftsbury  have  always  had  a  large  portion  of  their 
members  and  influence  in  this  State. 

1  have  thought  proper  in  farther  prosecuting  the  history 
of  this  State,  to  consider  it  under  two  divisions  ;  and  the 
line,  which  we  shall  fix  upon,  will  be  drawn  from  about 
the  northeast  corner  of  the  State  of  Rhode-Island,  and  ex- 
tend northerly  to  the  State  of  New-Hampshire.  That 
portion  of  the  State  which  lies  east  of  this  line,  I  shall 
consider  the  first  division,  and  that  which  lies  west  of  it 
the  second. 

FIRST    DIVISION. 

This  division  comprehends  the  oldest  settlements  as 
well  as  the  oldest  churches  in  the  state,  and  in  it  are  situat- 
ed the  Warren  and  Boston  Associations.  It  embraces 
the  counties  of  Essex,  Middlesex,  apart  of  Worcester, 
the  whole  of  Suffolk,  Norfolk,  Bristol,  Plymouth,  Barn- 
stable, Dukes,  and  Nantucket.  It  is  bounded  east  and 
south  by  the  Atlantic  ocean. 

In  this  division  we  find  a  number  of  churches  distin- 
guished for  age  and  sufferings,  and  those  now  called  the 
first  in  Swansea  and  Boston,  stand  the  foremost  on  the 
list ;  their  history  will  of  necessity  occupy  more  room 
than  that  of  the  rest.  They  are  dated,  the  first  in  1663,  . 
and  the  other  in  1665  ;  but  both  of  them  were  in  reality 
begun  a  number  of  years  before.     Although  the  Swan- 


The  Beginning  of  the  First  Church  in  Boston.         383 

sea  church  is  the  oldest,  yet  as  we  shall  regard  the  local 
and  relative  situation  of  the  churches  about  to  be  describ- 
ed, we  shall  begin  with  the  one  in  Boston,  and  then  take 
notice  of  the  other  churches  in  the  northern  part  of  this 
division,  before  we  come  to  Swansea  and  those  in  the 
southern. 

First  Church  in  Boston.  The  date  of  this  church  has 
already  been  given  ;  it  existed  a  few  years  in  Charlestown,* 
where  it  was  founded,  and  then  its  seat  was  removed  to 
Noddle's  Island,  a  little  out  in  the  Massachusetts  Bay, 
where  it  remained  some  time  before  it  was  established  in 
the  town  from  which  it  received  its  name. 

We  have  given  a  general  account  of  the  Baptists  in  this 
government  up  to  about  the  time  of  the  founding  of  this 
body,  which  originated  as  follows  : 

Mr.  Hubbard,  one  of  the  Massachusetts  historians, 
observes,  that  *'  while  some  were  studying  how  baptism 
might  be  enlarged  and  extended  to  the  seed  of  the  faith- 
ful in  their  several  generations,  there  were  others  as  studi- 
ous to  deprive  all  unadult  children  thereof,  and  restrain  the 
privilege  only  to  adult  believers. "f 

"  Infant  baptism,"  says  Dr.  Mather,  "hath  been  scrupled 
by  multitudes  in  our  day,  who  have  been,  in  other  points, 
most  worthy  christians,  and  as  holy,  watchful,  fruitful, 
and  heavenly  people,  as  perhaps  any  in  the  world." 
Some  few  of  these  people,  he  says,  were  among  the  first 
settlers  in  New-England.  Some  of  their  names  have  been 
mentioned,  and  many  things  make  it  probable  that  there 
were  many  more  who  never  happened  to  fall  under  the 
lash  of  the  law,  and  whose  names  for  that  reason  do  not 
appear  on  the  page  of  history  ;  for  the  Baptists  at  this  time 
had  no  one  to  tell  their  story,  and  we  never  get  a  view  of 
them,  except  at  the  tribunals  of  their  adversaries,  in  their 
prisons,  or  at  their  whipping-posts. 

After  being  long  harassed  in  courts  and  churches,  a 
few  of  our  brethren,  despairing  of  better  times,  and  being 
prepared  for  the  worst,  took  the  bold  step  of  embodying 
themselves  into  a  church  of  the  Baptist  order.  The  con- 
stituents were  nine  in  number  ;  their  names  were  Thom- 
as Gould,  Thomas  Osburn,  Edward  Drinker,  John  George, 

*  Charlestown  is  separated  from  Boston  by  Charles  river, 
f  Backus,  vol.  I.  n.  355, 


.384    Ostensible  Cause  of  the  Persecutions  of  the  \st  Church^ 

Richard  Goodall,  William  Turner,  Robert  Lambert,  Ma- 
ry Goodall,  and  Mary  Newell.  Gould  and  Osburn  were 
members  of  the  Pedobaptist  church  in  Cliarlestown. 
Goodall  was  a  member  of  a  Baptist  church  in  London,  of 
which  Mr.  Kiffin  vv^as  pastor.  His  wife  was  probably  a 
member  of  the  same  church.  Turner  and  Lambert  were 
members  of  a  church  in  Dartmouth,  England,  whose 
pastor  was  a  Mr.  Stead.  Of  the  others  we  have  not  so 
particular  information.  Turner  accepted  a  captain's  com- 
mission in  king  Philip's  war,  and  lost  his  life  in  the  de- 
fence of  a  colony,  in  which  he  was  most  cruelly  oppressed. 

The  founding  of  this  church  was  considered  by  the 
Massachusetts  people,  as  a  most  heinous  and  heaven-dar- 
ing offence,  and  many  of  the  members  of  it  spent  most  of 
their  time  in  courts  and  prisons  ;  they  were  often  fined, 
and  some  of  them  were  banished,  or  at  least  were  ordered 
to  depart  out  of  the  jurisdiction,  or  desist  from  the  error  of 
their  way  ;  neither  of  which  however  would  they  do  ; 
they  were  of  course  denounced  obstinate  hereticks,  and 
suffered  accordingly.  "  It  would  take  a  volume,"  says 
Morgan  Edwards,  "to  contain  an  account  of  all  their 
sufferings  for  ten  or  twelve  years." 

The  ostensible  reason,  which  their  enemies  urged  for 
distressing  them,  was,  that  they  had  formed  a  church 
without  the  approbation  of  their  ministers  and  rulers. 
''This  principle,"  says  Mr.  Neal,  "condemns  all  the 
dissenting  congregations,  which  have  been  formed  in 
England  since  the  act  of  uniformity  in  the  year  1662." 
The  fact  was  they  were  determined  that  no  churches 
should  be  formed  only  upon  their  own  plan.  Our  breth- 
ren well  knew  that  no  such  permission  would  be  granted, 
and,  besides,  they  could  not  in  principle  solicit  the  favour. 
And  finding  by  experience  that  the  churches,  established 
by  law,  would  not  suffer  them  to  live  quietly  in  their  com- 
munion, nor  peaceably  separate  from  it,  they  resolved  to 
set  up  a  standard  of  their  own,  and  united  "  in  a  solemn 
covenant  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  walk  in 
fellowship  and  communion  together,  in  the  practice  of  all 
ihe  holy  appointments  of  Christ,  which  he  had,  or  should 
further  make  known  to  them." 

"  The  king's  commissioners  being  here,"  says  Mr. 
Backus,  "  caused  the  court  not  to  lay  hold  of  these  peo- 


Thomas  GouId^s  Account  of  himself.  385 

pie  so  soon  as  otherwise  they  might  have  done.  But  in 
August  a  note  was  entered  in  Roxbury  church  records, 
and  published  in  an  Almanack,  which  has  been  communi- 
cated to  me  in  these  words  :  "  The  Anabaptists  gathered 
themselves  into  a  church,  prophesied  one  by  one,  and 
some  one  among  them  administered  the  Lord's  supper 
after  he  was  regularly  excommunicated  by  the  church  at 
Charlestown  ;  they  also  set  up  a  lecture  at  Drinker's  house, 
once  a  fortnight." 

Thomas  Gould  was  the  founder  of  this  church,  and  for 
many  years  had  the  principal  share  of  the  sufferings  it  un- 
derwent. The  manner  in  which  he  came  to  embrace  the 
Baptist  sentiments,  and  the  treatment  of  the  church  in 
Charlestown  towards  him  are  thus  related  by  himself: 

"  It  having  been  a  long  time  a  scruple  to  me  about  in- 
fant baptism,  God  was  pleased  at  last  to  make  it  clear  to 
me  by  the  rule  of  the  gospel,  that  children  were  not  capa- 
ble nor  fit  subjects  for  such  an  ordinance,  because  Christ 
gave  this  commission  to  his  apostles,  first  to  preach  to 
make  them  disciples,  and  then  to  baptize  them,  which  in- 
fants were  not  capable  of;  so  that  1  durst  not  bring  forth 
my  child  to  be  partaker  of  it ;  so  looking  that  my  child 
had  no  right  to  it,  which  was  in  the  year  1655,  when  the 
Lord  was  pleased  to  give  me  a  child  ;  I  staid  some  space 
of  time  and  said  nothing,  to  see  what  the  church  would  do 
with  me.  On  a  third  day  of  the  week  when  there  was  a 
meeting  at  my  house,  to  keep  a  day  of  thanksgiving  to  God, 
for  his  mercy  shown  to  my  wife,  at  that  time  one  coming  to 
the  meeting  brought  a  note  from  the  elders  of  the  church 
to  this  effect,  that  they  desired  me  to  come  down  on  the 
morrow  to  the  elder's  house,  and  to  send  word  again  what 
time  of  that  day  I  would  come,  and  they  would  stay  at 
Jiome  for  me  ;  and  if  I  could  not  come  that  day,  to  send 
them  word.  I  looking  on  the  writing  with  many  friends 
with  me,  I  told  them  I  had  promised  to  go  another  way 
on  the  morrow.  Master  Dunstar  (probably  President 
Dunstar)  being  present,  desired  me  to  send  them  word 
that  I  could  not  come  on  the  morrow,  but  that  I  would 
come  any  other  time  that  they  would  appoint  me  ;  and  so 
I  sent  word  back  by  the  same  messenger.  The  fifth  day, 
meeting  with  elder  Green,  I  told  him  how  it  was  ;  he  told 
me  it  was  well,  and  that  they  would  appoint  another  day 

VOL,  I,  49 


386  Thomas  Gould's  Account  of  himself. 

when  he  had  spoken  uith  the  pastor,  and  then  they  would 
send  me  "vvord.  This  lay  about  two  months  before  I 
heard  any  more  from  them.  On  a  first  day  in  the  after- 
noon one  told  me  I  must  stop,  for  the  church  would  speak 
with  me.  They  called  me  out,  and  Master  Sims  told  the 
church,  that  this  brother  did  withhold  his  child  from  bap- 
tism, and  that  they  had  sent  unto  him  to  come  down  on 
such  a  day  to  speak  with  them,  and  if  he  could  not  come 
on  that  day,  to  set  a  day  when  he  would  be  at  home  ;  but 
he  refusing  to  come,  would  appoint  no  time,  when  we 
writ  to  him  to  take  his  own  time,  and  send  us  word.  I 
replied  that  there  was  no  such  word  in  the  letter,  for  me 
to  appoint  the  day  ;  but  what  time  of  that  day  I  should 
come.  Mr.  Sims  stood  up  and  told  me,  /  did  /ie,  for 
they  sent  to  me  to  appoint  the  day.  I  replied  again  that 
there  was  no  such  thing  in  the  letter.  He  replied  again, 
that  they  did  not  set  down  a  time,  and  not  a  day,  there- 
fore he  told  me  it  was  a  lie,  and  that  they  w-ould  leave  my 
judgment,  and  deal  with  me  for  a  lie  ;  and  told  the  church, 
that  he  and  the  elder  agreed  to  write,  that  if  I  could  not 
come  that  day,  to  appoint  the  time  when  I  could  come, 
and  that  he  read  it  after  the  elder  writ  it,  and  the  elder  af- 
firmed it  was  so  ;  but  I  still  replied  there  was  no  such 
thing  in  the  letter,  and  thought  I  could  produce  the  letter. 
They  bid  me  let  them  see  the  letter,  or  they  would  pro- 
ceed against  mc  for  a  lie.  Brother  Thomas  Wilder, 
sitting  before  me,  stood  up  and  told  them,  that  it  was 
so  in  the  letter  as  I  said,  for  he  read  it  when  it  came 
to  me.  But  they  answered,  it  was  not  so,  and  bid 
him  produce  the  letter,  or  ihty  would  proceed  with 
me ;  he  said  I  think  I  can  produce  the  letter,  and 
forthwith  took  it  out  of  his  pocket,  w  hich  I  wondered 
at ;  and  I  desired  him  to  give  it  to  Mr.  Russel  to  read, 
and  so  he  did,  and  he  read  it  very  faithfully,  and  it 
was  just  as  I  had  said,  that  I  must  send  them  word  what 
time  of  that  day  I  would  come  down  ;  so  that  their 
mouths  were  stopped,  and  master  Sims  put  it  off  and  said 
he  was  mistaken,  for  he  thought  he  had  read  it  otherwise  ; 
but  the  elder  said,  this  is  nothing,  let  us  proceed  with  him 
for  his  judgment.  Now  let  any  man  judge  what  a  fair  be- 
ginning this  was,  and  if  you  wait  awhile  you  may  see  as 
fair  an  ending.  They  called  me  forth  to  know  why  I 
would  not  bring  my  child  to  baptism  ?  My  answer  \\'as, 


Thomas  Gould's  Account  of  himself.  38 


00(( 


I  did  not  see  any  rule  of  Christ  for  it,  for  that  ordinance 
belongs  to  such  as  can  make  profession  of  their  faith,  as 
the  Scripture  doth  plainly  hold  forth.  They  answered 
me,  that  was  meant  of  grown  persons  and  not  of  children. 
But  that  which  was  most  alleged  by  them  was,  that 
children  were  capable  of  circumcision  in  the  time  of  the 
law,  and  therefore  as  capable  in  the  time  of  the  gospel 
of  baptism  ;  and  asked  me,  why  children  were  not  to  be 
baptized  in  the  time  of  the  gospel,  as  well  as  children 
were  circumcised  in  the  time  of  the  law  ?  My  answer 
was,  God  gave  a  strict  command  in  the  law  for  the  cir- 
cumcision of  children  ;  but  we  have  no  command  in  the 
gospel,  nor  example,  for  the  baptizing  of  children.  Ma. 
ny  other  things  were  spoken,  then  a  meeting  was  appoint- 
ed by  the  church  the  next  week  at  Mr.  Russell's. 

"Being  met  at  Mr.  Russell's  house,  Mr.  Sims  took  a 
writing  out  of  his  pocket,  wherein  he  had  drawn  up  many 
arguments  for  infant  baptism,  and  told  the  church  that  I  must 
answer  those  arguments,  which  I  suppose  he  had  drawn  from 
some  author,  and  told  me  I  must  keep  to  those  arguments. 
My  answer  was,  I  thought  the  church  had  met  together  to 
answer  my  scruples,  and  to  satisfy  my  conscience  by  a  rule  of 
God,  and  not  for  me  to  answer  his  writing.  He  said  he  had 
dravv'n  it  up  for  the  help  of  his  memory,  and  desired  we 
might  go  on.  Then  I  requested  three  things  of  them. 
1st.  That  they  should  not  make  me  offender  for  a  word. 
2d.  They  should  not  drive  me  faster  than  I  was  able  to  go. 
3d.  That  if  any  present  should  see  cause  to  clear  up  any 
thing  that  is  spoken  by  me,  they  might  have  their  liberty 
without  offence  ;  because  here  are  many  of  you  that  have 
their  liberty  to  speak  against  me  if  you  see  cause.  But  it 
was  denied,  and  Mr.  Sims  was  pleased  to  reply,  that  he 
was  able  to  deal  with  me  himself,  and  that  I  knew  it.  So 
we  spent  four  or  five  hours  speaking  to  many  things  to 
and  again,  but  so  hot  both  sides,  that  we  quickly  forgot 
and  went  from  the  arguments  that  were  written.  At  last 
one  of  the  company  stood  up  and  said,  I  will  give  you 
one  plain  place  of  Scripture  where  children  were  baptized. 
I  told  him  that  would  put  an  end  id  the  controversy. 
That  place  is  in  the  2d  of  the  Acts,  39th  and  40th  verses. 
After  he  had  read  the  Scripture,  Master  Sims  told  me 
that  promise  belonged  to  infants,  for  the  Scripture  saith. 


o88  Thomas  Gould^s  Account  of 'himself. 

The  promise  is  to  you  and  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are 
afar  of ;  and  he  said  no  more  ;  to  which  I  repHed,  Eijen 
so  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call.  Mr.  Sims  rephed 
that  1  spoke  blasphemously  in  adding  to  the  Scriptures. 
I  said,  pray  do  not  condemn  me,  for  if  I  am  deceived,  my 
eyes  deceive  jme.  He  replied  again,  1  added  to  the  scrip- 
ture, which  was  blasphemy.  I  looking  into  my  Bible, 
read  the  words  again,  and  said  it  was  so.  He  replied  the 
same  words  a  third  time  before  the  church.  Mr.  Russell 
stood  up  and  told  him  it  was  so  as  I  had  read  it.  Ay,  it 
may  be  so  in  your  Bible,  saith  Mr.  Sims.  Mr.  Russell 
answered,  yea,  in  yours  too  if  you  will  look  into  it.  Then 
he  said  he  was  mistaken,  for  he  thought  on  another  place  ; 
so  after  many  other  words  we  broke  up  for  that  time. 

"  At  another  meeting,  the  church  required  me  to  bring 
out  my  child  to  baptism.  I  told  them  I  durst  not  do  it, 
for  I  did  not  see  any  rule  for  it  in  the  word  of  God. 
They  brought  many  places  of  Scripture  in  the  Old  and 
N»rw-Testament,  as  circumcision  and  the  promise  to 
Abraham,  and  that  children  were  holy,  and  they  were  dis- 
ciples. But  I  told  them  that  all  these  places  made  noth- 
ing for  infant  baptism.  Then  stood  up  W.  D. 
in  the  church  and  said,  "  Put  him  in  the  court  ! 
Put  him  in  the  court  !"  But  Mr.  Sims  said,  *'  I 
pray  forbear  such  words."  But  it  proved  so,  for  present- 
ly after  they  put  me  in  the  court,  and  put  me  in  seven  or 
eight  courts,  whilst  they  looked  upon  me  to  be  a  member 
of  their  church.  The  elder  pressed  the  church  to  lay  me 
under  admonition,  w  hich  the  church  was  backward  to  do. 
Afterwards  I  went  out  at  the  sprinkling  of  children,  which 
was  a  great  trouble  to  some  honest  hearts,  and  they  told 
me  of  it.  But  I  told  them  I  could  not  stay,  for  I  looked 
upon  it  as  no  ordinance  of  Christ.  They  told  me  that  now 
I  had  made  known  my  judgment,  I  might  stay,  for  they 
knew  I  did  not  join  with  them.  So  I  stayed  and  sat 
down  in  my  seat  when  they  were  at  prayer  and  adminis- 
tering that  service  to  infants.  Then  they  dealt  with  me 
for  my  irreverent  carriage.  One  stood  up  and  accused 
me,  that  I  stopped  my  ears ;  but  I  denied  it. 

"  At  another  meeting  they  asked  me  if  I  would  suffer 
the  church  to  fetch  my  child  and  baptize  it  ?  I  ans\vered, 
if  they  would  fetch  my  child  and  do  it  as  their  own  act, 


Thomas  Gould's  Account  of  himself .  o89 

they  mii^ht  do  it  ;  but  when  they  should  bring  my  child, 
I  would  make  known  to  the  congregation  that  1  had  no 
hand  in  it  ;  then  some  of  the  church  Mere  against  doing 
of  it.  A  brother  stood  up  and  said,  "  Brother  Gould, 
you  were  once  for  children's  baptism,  why  are  you  iaUeii 
from  it?"  I  answered,  "It  is  true,  and  L  suppose  you 
were  once  for  crossing  in  baptism,  why  are  you  talleii 
from  that  ?"  The  man  was  silent,  but  Mr.  Sims  siood 
up  in  a  great  heat,  and  desired  the  church  to  take  notice  of 
it,  that  I  compared  the  ordinance  of  Christ  to  the  cross  in 
baptism  ;  this  was  one  of  the  great  offences  they  deak  .vith 
me  for.  After  this,  the  deputy-governor,  Mr.  Beliing- 
ham,  meeting  me  in  Boston,  called  me  to  him  and  baid, 
*'  Goodman  Gould,  1  desire  you  that  you  would  let  the 
church  baptize  your  child."  I  told  him  that  "  if  the  church 
would  do  it  upon  their  own  account,  they  should  do  it,  but 
I  durst  not  bring  out  my  child."  So  he  called  to  Mrs. 
Norton  of  Charlestowu,  and  prayed  her  to  fetch  Good- 
man Gould's  child  and  baptize  it.  So  she  spake  to 
them,  but  not  rightly  informing  them,  she  gave  them  to 
understand  I  would  bring  out  my  child-  They  called  me 
out  again,  and  asked  me  if  I  would  bring  forth  my  child  ? 
I  told  them  "  No,  I  durst  not  do  it,  for  I  see  no  rule  for  it." 
In  much  the  same  manner  the  church  proceeded  with 
their  obnoxious  brother,  until  Master  Sims,  who  was 
not  only  a  petulant  but  an  ignorant  priest,  put  on  him  the 
second  admonition.  "This,"  says  he,  "  continued  a 
long  time  before  they  called  me  out  again.  In  the  mean 
time,  I  had  some  friends,  who  came  to  me  out  of  old 
England,  who  were  Baptists,  and  desired  to  meet  at  my 
house  on  a  first  day,  which  I  granted  ;  of  these  was  myself, 
my  wife,  and  Thomas  Osbourne,  that  were  of  their  church. 
Afterward  they  called  me  forth,  and  asked  why  I  kept 
the  meeting  in  private  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  did  not 
come  to  the  publick?  My  answer  was,  "  \  know  not  what 
reason  the  church  had  to  call  me  forth."  They  asked  me 
if  I  was  not  a  member  of  that  church  ?  I  told  them  they 
had  not  acted  toward  me  as  a  member,  who  had  put  me 
by  the  ordinances  of  Christ  seven  years  ago ;  they  had 
denied  me  the  privileges  of  a  member.  They  asked 
whether  I  looked  upon  admonition  as  an  appointment  of 
Christ  ?   I  told  them,  "  yes,  but  not  to  lie  under  it  above 


3  90      3Ir.  Gould  did  not  at  first  meditate  a  Separation. 

seven  years,  and  to  be  put  by  the  ordinances  of  Christ  in 
the  church  ;  for  the  rule  of  Christ  is  first  to  deal  with  men 
in  the  first  and  second  place,  and  then  in  the  third  place 
before  the  church;  but  the  first  time  that  ever  they  dealt 
with  me,  they  called  me  before  the  whole  church."  Ma- 
ny meetings  we  had  about  this  thing,  whether  I  was  a 
member  or  not,  but  could  come  to  no  conclusion  ;  for  I 
still  affirmed  that  their  actings  rendered  me  no  member. 
Then  Mr.  Sims  told  the  church  that  I  was  ripe  for  excom- 
munication, and  was  very  earnest  for  it ;  but  the  church 
would  not  consent." 

It  was  not  till  some  time  after  this,  that  they  "deliv- 
ered him  up  to  Satan  for  not  hearing  the  church." 

This  account  was  found  by  Mr.  Backus  among  Mr. 
Callender's  papers.  It  gives  the  reader  a  view  of  the  spir- 
it of  the  times,  and  also  of  the  deliberate  manner  in  which 
Mr.  Gould  proceeded  amidst  a  constant  scene  of  irritation 
and  abuse.  It  appears  from  a  number  of  expressions  in 
diflbrent  parts  of  the  narrative,  which  have  not  been  ex- 
tracted, that  he  would  have  preferred  remaining  with  his 
Pedobaptist  brethren,  if  they  would  have  permitted  him 
to  enjoy  his  Baptist  principles  in  peace  ;  but  because  he 
could  not  in  conscience  bring  out  his  babe  to  be  christened, 
they  drove  him  on  to  a  separation,  which  he  did  not  medi- 
tate at  first.  The  names  of  the  first  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  which  he  founded,  have  already  been  mention- 
ed. The  sufferings  which  they  endured  for  a  number  of 
years  are  related  by  Mr.  Backus  in  a  more  extensive 
manner  than  we  can  do  it  here.  But  it  is  sufficient  to  say, 
that  they  vrcre  many  and  grievous,  and  were  similar  to  those 
to  which  the  Baptists  of  that  day  were  every  where  exposed, 
where  the  defence  of  the  church  was  entrusted  with  the 
civil  power.  This  little  Anabaptist  church  consisting  of  on- 
ly nine  members,  a  part  of  whom  vv'ere  females,  and  the 
rest  illiterate  mechanics,  made  full  employ  for  the  rulers 
of  Massachusetts  a  number  of  years.  The  innocent  peo- 
ple, who  gave  them  so  much  trouble,  were  accused  of  no 
other  crime  than  that  of  forming  a  church  without  their 
permission,  and  of  meeting  in  their  own  houses  to  worship 
their  Maker  according  to  the  dictates  of  their  consciences. 
And  for  these  heinous  offences,  they  were  incessantly 
stunned  with  the  harangues  of  the  priests  and  lawyers,  and 


A  Dispute  proposed. . , .  IIo%v  it  was  managed.         391 

distressed  and  ruined  by  courts,  legislatures,  forfeitures, 
and  prisons. 

The  New-England  persecutors  we  would  charitably 
believe,  were  actuated  more  by  their  principles  than  dispo- 
sitions. They  certainly  conducted  the  business  in  a  bung- 
ling and  ridiculous  manner,  and  at  times  manifested  some 
misgivings  for  their  injustice  and  absurdity. 

After  Mr.  Gould  and  his  companions  had  been  con- 
demned as  heretics  and  law-breakers,  fined  and  imprisoned 
for  non-conformity,  they  were  challenged  to  a  public  dis- 
pute upon  their  peculiar  sentiments,  that  it  might  be  deter- 
mined whether  they  were  erroneous  Or  not  !  The  six  fol- 
lowing divines,  viz.  Messrs.  John  Allen,  Thomas  Cobbet, 
John  Higginson,  Samuel  Danforth,  Jonathan  Mitchell,  and 
Thomas  Shepard  were  nominated  to  manage  the  dispute 
on  the  Pedobaptist  side,  which  was  appointed  to  be  April 
14.  1668,  in  the  meeting  house  in  Boston,  at  9  o'clock  in 
the  m.orning.  But  lest  these  six  learned  clergymen  should 
not  be  a  match  for  a  few  illiterate  Baptists,  the  Governor 
and  magistrates  were  requested  to  meet  with  them.  The 
news  of  this  dispute  soon  spread  abroad,  and  Mr.  Clark's 
church  in  Newport  sent  William  Hiscox,  Joseph  Tory, 
and  Samuel  Hubbard,  to  assist  their  brethren  in  Boston 
in  it,  who  arrived  there  three  days  before  it  was  to  come 
on.  No  particular  account  of  this  dispute  has  been  pre- 
served. Mr.  Backus  has  made  an  extract  of  considerable 
length  from  a  paper  supposed  to  have  been  written  by 
Mr.  Gould's  wife,  in  which  some  things  respecting  it  are 
mentioned,  and  by  which  it  appears  that  the  Baptists 
instead  of  having  full  liberty  to  vindicate  their  sentiments, 
were  called  together  only  to  be  tantalized  and  abused. 
*'  When  the  disputants  were  met,  there  was  a  long  speech 
made  by  one  of  them  of  what  vile  persons  the  Baptists 
were,  and  how  they  acted  against  the  churches  and  govern- 
ment here,  and  stood  condemned  by  the  court.  The 
others  desiring  liberty  to  speak,  they  would  not  suffer 
them,  but  told  them  they  stood  there  as  delinquents,  and 
ought  not  to  have  liberty  to  speak.  Then  they  desired 
they  might  choose  a  moderator  as  well  as  they  ;  but  they 
denied  them.  Two  days  were  spent  to  little  purpose.  In 
the  close,  Master  Jonathan  Mitchell  pronounced  that  dread- 
ful sentence  against  them  in  Deuteronomy,  17th  chapter, 


392  Mr.  Mitchell's  terrible  Sentence, 

from  the  8th  to  the  end  of  the  12th  verse."  The  passage 
is  as  follows  :  If  there  arise  a  matter  too  hard  for  thee  in 
judgment,  hefvoeen  blood  arid  blood,  bet-iveen  plea  and  plea^ 
and  betiveen  stroke  and  stroke,  being  matters  of  contro'uersy^ 
nvithin  thy  gates  ;  then  slialt  thou  arise,  and  get  thee  up 
into  the  place,  'which  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  choose  :  And 
thou  shah  come  imto  the  priests,  the  Lemtes,  and  unto  the 
judge  that  shall  be  in  those  days,  and  inquire  ;  and  they  shall 
shew  thee  the  sentence  of  judgment.  A?ul  thou  slialt  do  ac- 
cording to  the  sentence  which  they  of  that  place,  %vhich  the 
JLord  shall  choose,  shall  shew  thee  ;  and  thou  shah  obseme 
to  do  according  to  all  that  they  inform  thee :  According  to 
the  sentence  of  the  law,  which  they  shall  teach  thee,  and  ac- 
cording to  the  judgment  which  they  shall  tell  thee,  thou  shall 
do  :  thou  shah  not  decline  from  the  sentence  which  they  shall 
shew  thee,  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left.  And  the  maUy 
that  will  do  presumptuously,  and  imll  not  hearken  unto  the 
priest,  that  standeth  to  minister  there  before  the  Lord  thy 
God,  or  unto  the  judge,  eiien  that  man  shall  die :  and  thou 
shcdt  put  away  the  emlfrom  Israel. 

This  was  the  same  Mitchell,  who  was  afraid  to  converse 
with  President  Dunstar^  lest  his  mind  should  be  shaken 
upon  infant  baptism  ;  who  found  such  satanical  scruples 
against  it,  that  he  had  much  ado  to  write  his  sermons  for 
Sunday  ;  and  who,  in  the  end,  resolved  that  he  would 
have  an  argument  able  to  remoiie  a  7noutitain,  before  he 
would  give  it  up. 

So  far  as  we  can  gain  information  of  the  management  of 
this  dispute,  on  the  part  of  the  Pedobaptists,  it  exceed- 
ed in  cowardly  and  contemptible  tyranny,  any  thing  of  the 
kind  we  read  of  in  England.*  VVe  will  excuse  in  part 
the  men,  and  lay  the  most  of  the  blame  at  the  door  of  their 
popish,  ever  hurtful  principles  of  confounding  together  the 
Jewish  and  Christian  dispensations,  of  placing  Aaron  and 
Moses  in  the  same  chair,  and  of  committing  the  defence 
of  the  church  to  the  civil  power. 

•  Neal  somewhere  mentions  that  an  English  Bishop  got  so  exasperated 
against  the  dissenters  around  him,  that  he  appointed  a  day  in  which  he 
would  dispute  with  them,  and  prove  them  all  hereticks,  &c.  Wlien  the  day 
came,  a  vast  concourse  assembled,  and  when  the  bishop  began  to  rail,  the 
Qiiakers  paid  him  in  his  own  coin,  and  brow-beat  him  so  hard  that  he  vvas 
forced  to  yield  ;  as  he  was  going  to  his  house,  they  followed  him  with 
shouts.    The  hireling  jleeth  !     The  hireling  Jleeth  ! 


A  singular  Act  of  Assembly.  39-3 

This  curious  disputation  was  in  April.     The  May  fol- 
lowing the  Assembly  enacted,  that 

"  Whereas  the  council  in  March  last  did  for  the  further  conviction, 
&c.  appoint  a  meeting  of  divers  elders,  and  required  the  said  persons 
to  attend  the  said   meeting,  which  was  held  in  Boston  with  a   great 
concourse  of  people.       This  coirrt,  being  sensible  of  their  duly   to 
God  and  the  countr)'^,  and  being  desirous  that  their  proceedings  in 
this  great  cause  might  be  clear  and  regular,  do  order  that  the  said 
Gould  and  company  be  required  to  appear  before  this  court,  on  the 
seventh  instant,  at  eight  in  the  morning,  that  the  court  may  under- 
stand from  themselves,  whether  upon  the  means  used,   or  other  con- 
siderations, they  have  altered  their   former   declared  resolution,  and 
are  willing  to  desist  from  their  former  offensive  practice,  that  accord- 
ingly a  mete  effectual  remedy    may   be  applied  to  so  dangerous   a 
malady.     At  the  time  they  made  their  appearance,  and  after  th^  court 
had  heard  what  they  had  to  say  for  themselves,  proceeded.     Where- 
as, Thomas  Gould,  William  Turner,  and  John  Farnum,  sen.  obsti- 
nate and  turbulent  Anabaptists,  have  sometime  since  combined  them- 
selves with  others  in  a  pretended  church  estate,  without  the  knowledge 
and  approbation  of  the  authority  here  established,  to  the  great  grief  and 
offence  of  the  godly  orthodox  ;  the  said  persons  did,   in  open  court, 
assert  their   former  practice    to  have  been  according  to  the  mind  of 
God,  that  nothing  that  they  had  heard  convinced  them  to  the  contrari/  ; 
which  practice,  being  also  otherwise  circumstanced  with  making  in- 
fant baptism  a  nullity,  and  thereby  making  us  all  to  be  unbaptized 
persons,  and  so  consequently  no  regular  churches,  ministry,  or  ordi- 
nances ;  as  also  renouncing  all  our  churches,  as  being  so  bad  and  cor-' 
rupt,  as  they  are  not  fit  to  beheld  communion  with  ;  denying  to  sub- 
mit to'  the  government  of  Christ  in  the  church,   and  entertaining  of 
those  who  are  under  church  censure,  thereby  making  the  discipline  of 
Christ  to  be  of  none  effect,  and  manifestly  tending  to  the  disturbance 
and  destruction   of  these  churches  ;  opening  the  door  for  all  sorts  of 
abominations  to  come  in  among  us,  to  the  disturbance  not  only  of 
ecclesiastical  enjoyments,  but  also  contempt  of  our  civil  order,  and 
the  authority  here  established  ;    which  duty  to  God  and  the  country 
doth  oblige  us  to  prevent,   by  using  the  most  compassionate  effectu- 
al means    to  attain  the  same  ;  all  which   considering,  together   with 
the  danger  of  disseminating  their  errors,  and  encouraging  presump- 
tuous irregularities  by  their  examples,  should  they  continue  in  this 
jurisdiction  ;  this  court  do  judge  it  necessary  that  they  be  removed 
to  some  other  part  of  this   country,   or  elsewhere,    and  accordingly 
doth  order,  that  the  said  Thomas  Gould,  William  Turner,  and  John 
Farnum,  sen.  do  before  the  twentieth  of  July  next  remove  them- 
selves out   of  this  jurisdiction  ;    and  that  if  after  the  said  20Ui  of 
July,   either  of  them  be  found  in  any  part  of  this  jurisdiction,  with- 
out license  had  from  this  court  or  the  council,  he  or  they  shall  be 
forthwith  apprehended  and  committed  to  prison  by  warrant  from  any 
magistrate,  and  there  remain  without  bail  or  mainprise,   until  he  or 
they  shall  give  sufficient  security  to  the  Governor  or  any  magistrate, 
immediately  to   depart  the  jurisdiction,  and  not  to  return  as  above 
said.     And  all  constables  and  other  officers  are  required  to  be  faith- 
vr>L.    I.  50 


391  Mr.  Mascall's  Letter. 

ful  and  deligent  in  the  execution  of  this  sentence.  And  it  is  fur^ 
ther  ordered,  that  the  keepers  of  all  prisons,  whereto  the  said  Thom- 
as, or  any  of  them  shall  be  committed,  shall  not  permit  any  resort  of 
fiompanies  of  more  tlian  two  at  one  time  to  any  of  the  said  persons. 
And  our  experience  of  their  high,  obstinate  and  presumptuous  car- 
riage, doth  engage  us  to  prohibit  them  any  farther  meeting  together, 
on  the  Lord's  day  or  other  days,  upon  pretence  of  their  church  es- 
tate, or  for  the  administration  or  exercise  of  any  pretended  ecclesias- 
tical functions  or  dispensation  of  the  seals  or  preaching  ;  wherein,  if 
tliey  sliall  be  taken  offending,  they  shall  be  imprisoned  until  the 
tenth  of  July  next,  and  then  left  at  their  liberty  within  ten  days  to 
depart  the  jurisdiction  upon  penalty  as  aforesaid.  And  whereas 
Thomas  Gould  is  committed  to  prison  in  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
by  the  last  court  of  assistants,  for  non-payment  of  a  fine  imposed., 
this  court  judgeth  it  meet,  after  the  sentence  of  this  court  is  publish- 
ed, this  day  after  the  lecture  to  them,  that  the  said  Gould  shall  be 
discharged  from  imprisonment  in  Middlesex  as  to  his  fine,  that  s» 
he  may  have  time  to  prepare  to  submit  to  the  judgment  of  this  court." 

It  is  truly  difficult  to  preserve  one's  patience  while 
reviewing  these  tjrannical  proceedings.  We  would  gladly 
draw  a  \eil  over  the  faults  of  the  fathers  of  Massachusetts ; 
but  what  is  history,  but  a  relation  of  facts,  whether  pleasant 
or  painful  P  The  injuries  sustained  by  Thomas  Gould 
and  his  associates  excited  the  compassion  of  many,  who 
did  not  think  with  them,  both  in  Europe  and  America. 
While  they  were  suffering  in  prison  because  they  wonkl; 
not  go  into  exile,  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  court  in 
their  favour,  signed  by  sixty-six  persons,  among  whom 
are  said  to  have  been  Capt.  Hutchinson,  Capt.  Oliver,  and 
others  of  note  in  the  country.  But  the  court  was  under 
the  influence  of  the  clergy  ;  "and  so  far  were  they,"  says 
Backus,  "  from  listening  to  the  petition,  that  the  chief 
promoters  of  it  were  fined,  and  the  others  were  compelled 
to  make  an  acknowledgment  for  reflecting  on  their  hon- 
ours." About  this  time,  die  following  letter  was  sent  from 
Eng-land,  which  exhibits  a  very  correct  view  of  theiniquity 
of  these  measures. 

"  MY    DEAR   BROTHER, 

*'  The  ardent  affection  and  great  honours  that  I  have  for  New» 
England  transport  ine,  and  I  hope  your  churches  shall  ever  be  to  me 
as  the  gates  of  heaven.  I  have  ever  been  warmed  with  the  apprehen- 
sion of  the  grace  of  God  towards  me  in  carrying  me  thither.  I  have 
always  thought  that  of  the  congregational  churches  of  New-England 
in  our  days.  But  now  it  is  otherwise,  with  joy  as  to  ourselves,  and 
grief  as  to  you,  be  it  spoken.  Now  the  greater  my  love  is  to  New- 
Euglaud,  the  more  am  I  grieved  at  their  failings.     It  is  freqi»eat!tr 


Mr.  Masc all's  Letter.  595 

iaid  here,  that  tlity  are  swerved  aside  towards  Prcsbytcrj'  ;  it"  so,  the 
Lord  restore  them  all.     But  another  sad  thing^,  that  much  atlects  us 
{s,  to  iiear  that  you,  even  in  TS'ew-England,  perseciite  your  brethren  ; 
men  sound  in  the  faith;  of  holy  life  ;  agreeing  in  worship   aud  dis- 
cipline with  you;   only    differing    in  the   point  of  baptism.     Dear 
brother,   we  here  do   love  aud    honour  thtra,   hold  familiarity  with 
them,   and  take  sweet  counsel  together  ;    tliey   lie  in   the  bosom  of 
Christ,  and  therefore  they   ought. to  be  laid  in   our  bosoms.      In  a 
word,    AC  freely  admit  them  into   churches  ;    few  of  our  churches, 
but  many  of  our  members  are  Anabaptists  ;   I  mean  baptized  agaiu. 
This  is  love  in  England  ;  this  is  moderation  ;    this  is   a  right  New- 
Testament  spirit.     But  do  you   now   (as   is  above  said)    bear  with, 
yea,  more  than  bear  with  the  Presbyterians  ?  yea,  and  that  the  worst 
sort  of  them,  viz.  those  who  are  the  corruptest,  rigidtst,  whose  prin- 
ciples tend  to  corrupt  the  churches  ;    turning  the  world  into  the 
church,  and  the  church  into  the  world  ;  and  which  doth  no  less  tlran 
bring  a  people  under  mere  slavery  r  It  is  an  iron  yoke,  which  neither 
we  nor  our  congregational  brethren  in  Scotland  were  ever  able  to  bear. 
I  have  heard  them  utter  these  words  in  the  pulpit,  that  it  is  no  wrong 
to  make  the  independents  sell  all  they   have,  and  depart  the  laud  : 
and   many  more  tilings  I  might   mention  of  that  kind  ;    but  this  I 
hint   only,  to  shew    what  cause  there   is  to  withstand   that  wickt-d 
tyranny  which  was  once  set  up  in  poor  miserable  Scotland,  which  I 
verily  believe  was  a  great  wrong  and  injury  to  the  reformation.     The 
generality  of  them  here,  even  to  this  day,    will  not  freely  consent  to 
our  enjoyment  of  our  liberty  ;  though  through  mercy,   the  best  and 
most  reformed  of  them  do  otherwise.     How  much  more,  therefore, 
would  it  concern  dear  New-England,  to  turn  the  edge  against  those, 
who,  if  not  prevented,  will  certainly   corrupt  and  enslave,  not  only 
theirown,  but  also  their  churches  ?  Whereas  Anabaptists  are  neither 
spirited  nor  principled  to   injure  nor  hurt  your  government  nor  3  our 
liberties  ;  but  rather  these  be  a  means   to    preserve  your  churches 
from  apostasy,   and  provoke  them  to  their  primitive  purity,    as  they 
were  in  the  first  planting,  in  admission  of  members  to  receive  none 
into  your  churches   but   visible   saints,    and  in  restoring  the  entire 
jurisdiction  of  every  '"ongregation  complete  and  undisturbed.     We 
are  hearty  and   full  for   our  Presbyterian  brethren  enjoying    equal 
liberty  with  ourselves.     Oh,  that   they  had  the  same  spirit  towards 
us  !    But,    oh,   how    it   grieves  and    affects  us,   that  New-England 
should  persecute  !    Will  you  not  give  what  you  take  ?     Is  liberty  of 
conscience  your  due  ?  and  is  it  not  as  due  unto  others  that  are  sound 
ill  the  faith  ?  Read  the   preface  to  the  declaration   of  the  faith  and 
erder,  owned  and  practised  in  the  Congregational  churches  in  Eng- 
land.    Amongst  many  other  scriptures,  that  in  the  14th  of  Romans 
much  confirms  me  in  liberty  of  conscience  thus  stated  ;    to  him  that 
esteems  any  thing  unclean,   to  him  it  is  unclean.     Therefore,  though 
we  approve  of  the  baptism  of   the  immediate  children  of  church 
members,  and  of  their  admission  into  the  church  when  they  evidence 
a  real   work  of  grace  ;    yet  to  those   that  in  conscience  believe  the 
said  baptism  to  be  unclean,  to  him   it  is  unclean.     Both  that  and 
mere  ruling  elders,  though   we  approve  of  them,  yet  our  grounds 
are  mere  interpretations  of,  and  not  any  express  scripture.     1  cannot 


396  Mr,  MascaWs  Letter. 

say  so  clearly  of  any  thing  else  in  our  religion,  neither  as  to  faith  or 
practice.  Now  must  we  force  our  inter^iretation  upon  others  pope- 
like !  In  verse  5th  of  that  chapter,  the  Spirit  of  God  saith,  let  every 
one  be  fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind  ;  therefore  this  being  the 
express  will  of  God,  who  shall  make  a  contrary  law,  and  say,  per- 
suaded or  not  persuaded,  you  shall  do  as  we  say,  and  as  we  do  ! 
And  verse  23d,  what  is  not  of  faith  is  sin  ;  therefore  there  must  be 
a  word  for  what  we  do,  and  we  must  see  and  believe  it,  or  else  we  sin 
ifwedonot.  And  Deut.  xii.  and  last,  as  we  must  not  add,  nor 
may  we  diminish.  What  is  commanded  we  must  do.  Also  28th 
of  Matthew.  And  what  principles  is  persecution  grounded  upon  ? 
Domination  and  infallibility.  This  we  teach  is  the  truth.  But  are 
we  infallible,  and  have  we  the  government  ?  God  made  none,  no  not 
the  apostles,  who  could  not  err,  to  be  lords  over  faith  ;  therefore, 
•what  monstrous  pride  is  this  !  At  this  rate,  any  persuasion  getting 
uppermost  may  command,  and  persecute  them  that  obey  them  not  ; 
all  non-conformists  must  be  ill-used.  Oh  wicked  and  monstrous 
principle  !  "NVhate'er  you  can  plead  for  yourselves  against  those 
that  persecute  you,  those  whom  ye  persecute  may  plead  for  them- 
selves against  you.  Whatever  they  can  say  against  the  poor  men,  your 
enemies  say  against  you.  And  what !  is  that  horrid  principle  crept 
into  precious  New-England,  who  have  felt  what  persecution  is,  and 
have  always  pleaded  for  liberty  of  conscience  !  Have  not  those  run 
equal  hazards  with  you  for  the  enjoyment  of  their  liberties  ;  and 
how  do  you  cast  a  reproach  upon  us,  that  are  congregational  in  Eng- 
land, and  furnish  our  adversaries  with  weapons  against  us  ?  We 
blubh  and  are  filled  with  shame  and  confusion  of  face,  when  we  hear 
of  these  things.  Dear  brother,  we  pray  that  God  would  open  your 
eyes  and  persuade  the  hearts  of  your  magistrates,  that  they  may 
no  more  sinitc  their  fellow-servants,  nor  thus  greatly  injure  us  their 
brethren  ;  and  that  they  may  not  thus  injure  the  name  of  God,  and 
cause  his  people  to  be  reproached,  nor  the  holy  way  of  God  (the 
congregational  way)  to  be  evil  spoken  of.  My  dear  brother,  pardon 
luy  plainness  and  freedom,  for  the  zeal  of  God's  house  constrains 
me.  AV'hat  cause  have  we  to  bless  God  who  gives  us  to  find  favour 
in  the  eyes  of  his  Majesty  ?  and  to  pray  God  to  continue  him,  and 
to  requite  it  graciously  to  him  in  spiritual  blessings.  Well,  strive  [ 
beseech  you  with  God  by  prayers,  and  use  all  lawful  ways  and  means 
even  to  your  greatest  hazard,  that  those  poor  men  may  be  set  free. 
For  be  assured,  that  this  liberty  of  conscience,  as  we  state  it,  is  the 
cause  of  God  ;  and  hereby  you  mav  be  a  means  to  divert  the  judg- 
ments of  God  from  falling  upon  dear  New-England,  for  our  Father 
in  faithfulness  will  afflict  us  if  we  repent  not.  Doth  not  the  very 
gospel  say,  ichat  measure  we  mete  to  others,  shall  be  measured  to  its  9 
God  is  not  unrighteous.  What  is  more  provoking  to  him  than  the 
persecuting  of  his  saints  !  Touch  not  mine  anointed,  and  do  my 
prophets  no  har)}i  ;  did  he  not  reprove  kings  for  their  sake  ?  Those 
who  have  the  unction  the  apostle  John  speaks  of,  and  the  spirit  and 
gift  of  prophecies.  With  what  marvellous  strength  did  holy  Mr. 
Burroughs  urge  that  place  against  persecution  ?  Persecution  is  bad 
in  wicked  men,  but  it  is  most  abominable  in  good  men,  who  have 
suffered  and  pleaded  for  liberty  of  conscience  themselves.     Discaua- 


Account  of  the  First  C/iurck  in  Boston.  397 

tenance  men  that  certaiuly  err,  but  persecute  thcni  not.  I  mean 
gross  errors.  Well,  we  are  travelling  to  our  place  of  rest.  With 
joy  we  look  for  new  heavens  and  new  earth.  We  shall  erelong  be 
in  the  fulness  of  bliss,  holy,  harmless  in  the  bosom  of  Christ.  Let 
lis  pray  the  earth  may  be  tilled  with  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord, 
that  they  may  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  his  lioly  mountain.  The 
Lord  grant  we  may  by  the  next  hear  better  things  of  the  govern- 
ment of  New-England.  My  most  hearty  love  to  your  brother  and 
to  all  the  brethren.  My  respects  and  service  to  my  dear  cousin 
Leveret  and  to  Mr.  Francis  Willoughby.  The  Lord  make  them 
instrumental  for  his  glory,  in  helping  to  reform  things  among  you. 
T  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  you.  I  remember  our  good  old  sweet 
communion  together.  My  dear  brother,  once  again  pardon  me,  for 
I  am  affected  !  I  speak  for  God,  to  whose  grace  I  commit  you  all  in 
New-England,  humbly  craving  your  prayers  for  us  here,  and  remain, 
"  Your  affectionate  brother, 

"  ROBERT  MASCALL. 
"  Finshury,  near  Morefield,  7 
the  25th  of  March,  lb"69."  ) 

Another  letter  of  a  similar  import  was  about  this  lime 
addressed  to  the  Governor,  signed  by  twelve  dissenting 
ministers  in  London,  among  whom  were  the  learned  Dr. 
Goodwin,  Dr.  Ouen,  Mr.  Nye,  and  Mr.  Caryl. 

But  all  remonstrances  were  without  effect,  and  Mr. 
Backus  concludes  from  the  best  information  he  could 
gain,  that  these  turbulent  Anabaptists  were  imprisoned 
more  than  a  year  after  the  sentence  of  banishment  was  pro- 
nounced against  them.  After  Mr.  Gould  was  released, 
he  went  to  live  on  Noddle's  Island  in  Boston  harbour, 
where  the  church  assembled  for  some  years.  At  what 
time  it  was  removed  to  Boston,  is  not  certain  ;  but  it  was 
not  till  after  the  year  1672. 

The  next  members,  who  were  added  to  it  after  its  con- 
stitution, were  Isaac  Hull,  John  Farnum,  Jacob  Barne}-, 
John  Russell,  jun.  John  Johnson,  George  Farlow,  Benja- 
min Sweetser,  and  Ellis  Callender,  all  before  1669.  After 
them  were  added  Joshua  Turner,  Thomas  Foster,  John 
Russell,  sen.  William  Hamlit,  James  Loudon,  Thomas 
Skinner,  John  Williams,  Philip  Squire,  Mary  Gould, 
Susanna  Jackson,  Mary  Greenleaf,  &c. 

Mr.  Gould  died  in  1675.  I  can  learn  nothing  more  of 
his  history  than  what  has  been  related  in  the  preceding 
sketches.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  a  more  partic- 
ular accou5it  of  him  has  not  been  preserved ;    his  nanie 


398  Account  of  the  First  Church  in  Boston. 

ought  to  be  recorded  on  the  tallest  page  of  the  history  of  the 
^ew-England  Baptists ;  and  when  the  reader  considers 
that  the  church,  which  he  founded,  inchided  the  whole  of 
the  Baptist  interest  in  the  colony  of  Massachusetts,  for 
about  seventy  years,  he  will  not  think  it  improper  to  give 
this  lengthy  and  particular  account  of  its  origin. 

Mr.  Gould  was  succeeded  in  the  pastoral  office  by  Isaac 
Hull.  How  long  he  continued  among  them,  their  records 
do  not  show. 

John  Russell  was  his  successor,  and  it  seems  probable 
that  both  of  these  ministers  preached  in  the  church  at  the 
same  time.  They  were  companions  in  sufferings,  having 
both  been  fined  and  imnrisoned  for  non- conformity.  Of 
Mr.  Hull,  we  have  scarce  any  account.  Of  Mr.  Russell, 
the  following  sketches  have  been  preserved.  He  was  or- 
dained in  1679,  but  died  the  next  year.  Previous  to  his 
death  he  wrote  a  narrative  of  the  sufferino-s  of  this  litde 
flock,  which  was  sent  over  to  London,  and  printed  in  1680, 
wkh  a  preflice  to  it  by  Messrs.  William  Kiffin,  Daniel 
Dyke,  William  Collins,  Hansard  Knollys,  John  Harris, 
and  Nehemiah  Cox.  These  eminent  Baptist  ministers 
made  some  very  severe  but  judicious  reflections  on  the 
unaccountable  conduct  of  the  New- England  fathers.  It 
seems  strange,  said  they,  that  christians  in  Ne  w-England 
should  pursue  the  very  same  persecuting  measures,  which 
they  fled  from  Old- England  to  avoid  !  This  argument  they 
knew  not  how  to  withstand,  and  their  reasonings  against  it 
were  altogether  frivolous  and  contemptible.  Protestants^ 
said  they,  ought  not  to  persecute  Protestants^  yet  that  Protes- 
tants may  punish  Protestants  cannot  be  denied!  Because  Mr. 
Russell  was  by  occupation  a  shoe-maker,  many  low,  abu- 
sive reflections  were  made  upon  him,  even  after  he  was 
dead.  One  of  the  Boston  divines  published  an  ansuer  to 
his  narrative,  with  a  Latin  title,  the  English  of  which  was, 
Cobler  keep  to  your  Last.  Dr.  Mather  published  a  piece  in 
which  he  accused  the  Baptists  of  the  sin  of  Jeroboam,  in 
making  priests  of  the  lowest  order  of  the  people,  &c.  Mr. 
Willard  said,  *'  Truly  if  Goodman  Russell  was  a  fit  man 
for  a  minister,  we  have  but  fooled  ourselves  in  building 
colleges  and  in  instructing  children  in  learning."  Hubbard, 
who  was  generally  more  candid  and  fair  than  the  rest,  in 
speaking  of  the  narrative,    &c.   observed,    "  One  John 


Account  of  the  First  Church  in  Boston.  399 

Russell,  a  wedder  drop'd  shoe-maker,  stitched  up  a  pam- 
phlet, wherein  he  endeavours  to  clear  the  innocency  of 
those  commonly  (though  falsely  he  says)  called  Anabap- 
tists." In  this  scurrilous  manner  was  this  honest  and 
worthy  minister  treated  by  his  impotent  adversaries.  But 
had  he  and  his  associates  met  with  nothing  more  than  the 
revilings  of  priests,  their  case  would  have  been  less  de- 
plorable, but  to  these  were  added  forfeitures,  stripes,  and 
prisons. 

Those  three  eminent  ministers  of  vSwansea,  Job,  Russell, 
and  John  Mason,  w^ere  great-grand-children  of  this  worthy 
but  much  despised  man.  From  him  also  descended  the 
Russells  of  Providence,  Rhode-Island  ;  and  Jonathan  Rus- 
sell, Esq.  late  Charge  de  Affairs  in  France  and  England,  is 
one  of  his  descendants. 

In  1678,  this  church  built  them  a  house  for  worship, 
out  of  which,  however,  they  were  soon  shut,  and  a  long 
difficulty  ensued  upon  the  matter.  They  had  been  often 
reproached  for  meeting  in  private  houses,  "  but  since," 
said  they,  "  we  have  for  our  convenience,  obtained  a 
public  house,  on  purpose  for  that  use,  we  are  become 
more  offensive  than  before."  Their  leaders  were  con- 
vented  before  the  General  Court,  who  not  finding  any  old 
law  to  suit  their  purpose,  made  a  new  one,  which  forbid 
their  assembling,  and  they  furthermore  enacted  that  their 
house,  and  all  houses  for  worship,  \\hich  were  built  with- 
out legal  permission,  together  with  the  premises,  appur- 
tenances, &c.  should  be  forfeited  to  the  use  of  the  coun- 
ty, and  be  disposed  by  the  county-treasurer,  by  sale  or 
demolishing,  as  the  court  that  gave  judgment  in  the  case 
should  order. 

This  affair  went  the  whole  round  of  courts  and  legisla- 
tures. The  patient  little  flock  submitted  quietly  to  the 
orders  of  the  sanctimonious  court,  and  "  waited  to  see 
what  God  would  do  for  them.." 

Not  long  after  this,  the  king  of  England  vrrote  to  the 
iVIassachusetts  rulers,  "  requiring  that  liberty  of  conscience 
should  be  allowed  to  all  protestants,  so  as  that  they  might 
not  be  discountenanced  from  sharing  in  the  government, 
mnch  less  that  no  good  subjects  of  his,  for  not  agreeing  in 
the  Congregational  way,  should  by  law  be  subjected  tofne:^ 
9x\^fo7feitwes,  or  other  incapacities  for  the  same,  whidi,sai^ 


400  Account  of  the  First  Church  in  Boston-. 

his  majesty,  is  a  severity  the  more  to  be  wondered  at, 
whereas  liberty  of  conscience  was  made  a  principal  motive 
for  your  transportation  into  those  parts."  But  this  remon- 
strance from  the  throne  was  disregarded  by  the  priest- led 
magistrates. 

Deplorable  indeed,  says  Mr.  Backus,. was  the  case  of  these 
brethren  ;  but  having  information  of  the  king's  letter  in 
their  favour,  they  again  presumed  to  meet  in  their  house, 
which  they  had  done  but  a  few  times  before  they  were 
again  called  before  the  canting,  vexatious  court  to  answer 
for  their  high  oft'ence  of  worshipping  God  contrary  to  law. 
But  being  emboldened  by  the  royal  mandate  in  their  fa- 
vour, they  began  to  take  a  bolder  stand  against  the  un- 
righteous encroachments  of  their  adversaries. 

But  the  next  thing  we  hear  of,  the  doors  were  nailed  up 
by  the  Marshall,  and  a  paper  put  on  them,  which  said, 

"  All  persons  are  to  take  notice,  that  by  order  of  the  court,  the 
doors  of  this  house  are  shut  up,  and  that  they  are  inhibited  to  hold, 
any  meeting,  or  to  open  the  doors  thereof  without  license  from  au- 
thority, till  the  General  Court  take  further  order,  as  they  will  an- 
swer the  contrary  at  their  peril.     Dated  at  Boston,  8th  March,  168O. 

"  EDWARD  RAWSON,  Secretanjr 

The  church  thought  fit  to  regard  this  paper  blockade, 
and  accordingly  the  next  Lord's  day  assembled  in  their 
yard ;  and  in  the  ensuing  week  erected  a  shed  for  their 
covering.  But  when  they  came  together  the  second 
Lord's  day,  they  found  their  doors  opened,  and  since 
then  they  have  been  left  to  the  care  of  the  sexton,  and  not 
constables  and  sheriffs.  But  the  leaders  of  the  church 
were  convented  before  the  Assembly,  the  May  following, 
where  they  plead,  1st,  That  the  house  ivos  their  oivn. 
2d,  That  it  was  built  ivhen  there  was  ?io  law  to  forbid  it, 
therefore,  they  were  not  transgressors.  3d,  That  it  was  the 
express  will  and  pleasure  of  the  king,  that  they  should  enjoy 
their  liberty.  After  some  reviling  speeches  were  cast 
upon  them,  they  were  publicly  admonished  by  the  Gover- 
nor, pardoned  for  their  past  offences,  but  prohibited  from 
meeting  in  their  house  for  the  future  without  permission 
from  the  authority.  Bnt  it  does  not  appear  that  this  pro- 
hibition was  regarded  either  by  the  church  or  the  rulers. 

These    scenes   transpired  during  the   lives   of  Elders 
Hull  and  Russell.      They  were  the  principal  leaders  of  the 


Account  of  the  First  Church  in  Boston.  40  i 

church  through  all  this  perplexing  affair,  and  for  that  rea- 
son we<have  thought  proper  to  relate  it  in  connexion  with 
their  history. 

Mr.  Hull  survived  Mr.  Russell  nine  years,  and  how 
much  longer  the  records  of  the  church  do  not  show  ;  but 
being  aged  and  feeble,  and  often  incapable  of  ministerial 
work,  they  sent  over  to  England,  and  obtained  for  their 
next  pastor  John  Emblen,  who  arrived  here  in  1684,  and 
continued  in  office  until  1699,  when  he  died.  Nothing 
farther  can  be  learnt  of  his  character,  than  that  he  was 
well  esteemed. 

After  Mr.  Emblen's  death,  this  church  wrote  again  to 
England  for  another  minister,  but  could  not  obtain  one. 
They  next  applied  to  Mr.  Screven,  of  Charleston,  South- 
Carolina,  who  had  been  one  of  their  number  ;  but  he  in- 
formed them  that  he  could  by  no  means  be  spared. 
"  But  if,"  said  he,  "  the  Lord  do  not  please  to  supply  you, 
in  the  way  you  expected,  your  way  will  be  to  improve  the 
gifts  you  have  in  the  church.  Brother  Ellis  Callender 
and  Joseph  Russell,  I  know  have  gifts  that  may  tend  to 
edification,  &c."  Pursuant  to  this  advice,  the  church 
called  Mr.  Callender  to  the  ministry  shortly  after,  and  ia 
1708,  he  was  ordained  their  pastor,  which  office  he  sus- 
tained to  the  edification  of  his  fiock  a  number  of  years. 
He  had  been  a  member  of  the  church  thirty-nine  years  be- 
fore he  was  ordained,  and  "continued  in  high  esteem 
among  them,  till  1726,"  when  he  must  have  been  not  far 
from  eighty  years  of  age. 

His  son,  Elisha  Callender,  became  his  successor,  and 
continued  in  the  pastoral  office,  until  his  death,  which  liap- 
pened  in  1738.  He  appears  to  have  been  the  first  learned 
pastor  of  this  flock,  and  was  distinguished  for  a  pious  and 
successful  ministry.  He  was  educated  at  Cambridge,  and 
was  ordained  in  1718,  by  the  assistance  of  three  Pedobap- 
tist  ministers,  viz.  Dr.  Increase  Mather,  Dr.  Cotton 
Mather,  and  Mr.  John  Webb.  This  was  a  singular  event 
in  those  days,  and  probably  no  great  good  came  out  of  it 
in  the  end.  Both  parties  must  have  strained  a  point  in 
order  to  unite  on  such  an  important  occasion.  The  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  the  younger  Dr.  Mather,  which  was 
entitled.  Good  Men  United.  In  it  are  some  very  respectful 
addresses  to  the  Baptist  church,  and  a  number  of  very  se- 

vor..  7.  51 


402  Account  of  the  First  Church  in  Boston. 

vere  reflections  on  their  persecutors.  Happy,  says  Back- 
us, is  he  that  conclemneth  not  himself  in  that  thing  which 
he  aUo'^x'eth. 

This  temporary  expression  of  Catholicism  promised 
more  than  was  afterwards  reaUzed.  The  report  of  it  in 
England,  induced  Thomas  HoUis,  Esq.  a  weaUhy  mer- 
chant of  the  Baptist  persuasion,  to  become  one  of  the  most 
liberal  benefactors  to  Cambridge  College,  that  it  ever  en- 
joyed. * 

Mr.  Callender  was  succeeded  by  Jeremiah  Condy,  who 
was  ordained  in  1739.  He  was  educated  at  Cambridge 
College,  where  he  graduated  in  1726.  He  went  over  to 
England  not  long  after,  and  tarried  there  until  he  was  called 
by  this  church  to  become  its  pastor.  His  doctriital  senti- 
ments were  less  orthodox  than  those  of  his  predecessors  ; 
and  four  years  after  his  settlement  a  number  of  his  mem- 
bers withdrew  and  founded  the  Second  Church  in  this  town, 
as  will  be  more  particularly  related  when  we  come  to  their 
history.  The  church  did  not  flourish  under  his  ministry, 
but  was  in  a  declining  state,  when  the  care  of  it  devolved 
on  the  renowned 

Samuel  Stillman,  D.  D.  This  eminent  minister,  who 
afterwards  shone  as  a  star  of  the  first  magnitude  among 
the  xVmerican  Baptists,   became  the  pastor  of  this  church 

•  His  benefactions  to  this  Institution  were  astonishingly  great :  for  besides 
making  large  additions  to  its  librarv,  he  founded  two  professorships,  one  of 
Theology  and  one  of  Mathematicks  and  Experimental  Pliilosophy,  with  a 
salary  of  eighty  pounds  each.  In  addition  to  these,  he  endowed  the  College 
with  funds  to  the  amount  of  a  hundred  pounds  a  year,  to  be  distributed  among- 
ten  scholars  of  good  character,  fouroftliem  should  be  Baptists,  if  any  such, 
were  there.  He  also  provided  ten  pounds  a  year  to  the  College  Treasurer 
for  his  trouble,  and  ten  pounds  a  year  to  supply  accidental  losses,  or  to  in- 
crease the  number  of  students.  Thus  it  appears,  that  this  worthy  and  mu- 
nificent Baptist  must  have  hestowed  upon  this  Pedobaptist  University,  funds 
to  the  amount  of  almost  five  thousand  pounds.  A  philosophical  apparatus 
which  cost  ;^150  sterling  was  sent  over  in  1726. 

These  endowments  have  doubtless  been  of  much  use  to  the  college  ;  but 
the  advantages  which  Mr.  HoUis  expected  the  Baptists  to  derive  from  his  un- 
exampled generosity,  have  never  been  realized. 

What  a  pity  that  this  generous  Baptist  had  not  appropriated  these  prince- 
ly endowments  exclusively  to  his  own  brethren  ;  as  they  would  iiave  found- 
ed an  institution  from  which  they  could  have  derived  peculiar  benefit! 

Mr  HoUis  held  to  open  communion,  and  the  account  of  Dr.  Mather  the 
then  President  at  Cambridge,  together  with  two  other  Pedobaptist  ministers 
uniting  with  a  Baptist  church  in  ordaining  a  pastor,  doubtless  opened  to  his 
imagination  a  pleasing  prospect  of  an  extensive  imion  between  the  two  denonv- 
inations,  and  moved  upon  his  benevolent  feelings  to  afford  the  College  the 
astonishing  patronage  already  mentioned. 


Account  of  the  First  Church  in  Boston.  403 

i-n  1765,  just  a  hundred  years  from  its  beginning.  Mr. 
Condy  from  that  period  retired  to  a  private  station,  and 
died  in  1768,  aged  59  years.  Dr.  Stillman's  ministry  was 
long  and  prosperous,  and  whatever  pecuhar  events  trans- 
pired, during  its  continuance,  will  be  related  in  his  biog- 
raphy. 

Ke  was  succeeded  by  Joseph,  more  commonly  called 
Judge  Clay.  This  eminent  man,  as  he  said  to  a  friend  a 
little  before  his  death,  had  in  the  ministry  a  rapid  and  pe- 
culiar course.  He  was  born  in  Savannah,  Georgia,  Au- 
gust 16,  1764.  He  graduated  at  Princeton  College,  New- 
Jersey,  in  1784,  and  after  preparatory  studies  commenced 
the  practice  of  law,  in  which  profession  he  continued  until 
1795.  The  year  following  he  was  appointed  Judge  of  the 
District  of  Georgia,  and  continued  on  the  bench  until  1801. 
Although  he  had  been  instructed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures 
from  a  child,  and  had  manifested  an  habitual  reverence  for 
the  christian  religion,  it  was  not  until  the  year  1803,  that 
he  made  a  publick  profession,  and  joined  the  Baptist 
church  at  Savannah,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Holcombe.  This  church  called  him  to  the  ministry, 
and  in  1804,  he  was  ordained  in  their  fellowship  as  an  as- 
sistant pastor  with  Mr.  Holcombe.  In  September,  1806, 
Mr.  Clay  made  a  visit  to  the  New-England  States,  and. 
preached  in  most  of  the  principal  towns  to  very  general 
satisfaction.  And  as  this  church  had,  for  a  consideiiible 
time,  been  contemplating  an  assistant  pastor^  (on  account 
of  the  advanced  age,  and  increasing  infirmities  of  Dr.  Still- 
man,  and  by  his  particular  desire)  they  unanimously  agreed 
to  invite  him  to  come  and  take  upon  him  that  office,  and 
in  the  event  of  the  Doctor's  death,  to  become  their  sole 
pastor.  To  this  invitation  he  signified  his  acceptance  the 
December  following,  so  far  as  to  consent  to  come  and 
spend  one  year  with  them,  and  then  be  at  liberty  to  act  as 
duty  might  appear.  While  the  church  was  anxiously  wait- 
ing the  period  of  his  arrival.  Dr.  Stillman  was  suddenly 
removed  from  his  pastoral  tffice  by  death.  On  the  16th 
of  June  follow  ing,  Mr.  Clay  arrived  in  Boston  with  his 
family,  to  the  great  joy  of  that  afflicted  people.  The  fa- 
vourable impressions  under  which  he  commenced  his 
publick  labours,  seemed  to  presage  his  future  usefulness 
and  prosperity.      Mr.  Clay  continued  his  ministrations 


404  Account  of  the  First  Church  in  Boston, 

with  this  people,  until  the  beginning  of  November,  1808  ; 
when  agreeably  to  his  previous  engagement,  he  left  them, 
and  sailed  for  Savannah,  expecting  to  return  to  them  again 
in  the  spring.  But  soon  after,  finding  his  health  declin- 
ing,  he  wrote  to  the  church,  proposing  to  them  to  look 
out  for  another  pastor,  and  soon  after  requested  a  dismis- 
sion from  his  pastoral  care.  On  the  27th  of  October,  1809, 
the  church  addressed  an  affectionate  letter  to  him,  in  which 
they  signified  their  compliance  with  his  request.  As  part 
of  the  family  were  resident  in  Boston,  Mrs.  Clay  came 
with  the  remainder  on  a  visit  in  November  of  that  year, 
having  left  him  much  as  usual,  excepting  a  depression 
of  spirits  occasioned  by  her  coming  away.  But  finding  his 
complaints  increasing,  and  urged  by  a  desire  to  be  with 
his  family,  he  soon  after  embarked  for  Boston,  and  arrived 
there,  December,  1810.  Although  in  a  very  feeble,  de- 
bilitated state,  no  serious  apprehensions  were  at  first  en- 
tertained respecting  his  recovery.  But  it  was  soon  per- 
ceived that  his  complaints  became  daily  more  and  more 
alarming,  notwithstanding  the  continued  efforts  of  the  best 
medical  aid.  Exhausted  nature  at  length  gave  up  the 
conflict,  and  on  the  11th  of  January,  1811,  he  gently  fell 
asleep  in  Jesus,  being  in  the  47th  year  of  his  age.  Mr. 
Clay  Mas  above  the  middling  stature  ;  his  form  elegant, 
his  countenance  comely,  and  his  manners,  though  some- 
what reserved,  were  easy  and  graceful.  As  a  christian, 
his  deportment  was  modest,  grave,  and  humble.  Though 
accustomed  to  move  in  the  higher  circles  of  life,  yet,  as  a 
christian  minister,  he  cheerfully  condescended  to  men  of 
low  estate.  As  a  public  speaker  he  held  a  respectable 
rank.  His  voice  was  pleasant  and  harmonious,  his  ges- 
tures natural,  and  his  language  generally  classical  and 
pure.  His  system  of  doctrine  was  highly  Calvinistical, 
and  it  is  believed  he  never  shunned  to  declare  what  he 
thought  to  be  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  The  divinity  of 
Christ,  his  obedience  and  death,  together  with  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  renewing  the  heart  and  in  comfort- 
ing the  saints,  were  sentiments,  which  he  enforced  with 
much  interest  and  ability. 

Judge  Clay  lived  but  about  seven  years  after  he  entered 
the  ministry,  most  of  which  time  he  spent  in  itinerating  in 
different  parts  of  the  United  States.     The  novelty  of  such 


Account  of  the  First  Church  in  Boston.  405 

a  distinguished  statesman  becoming  a  Baptist  minister, 
collected  large  assemblies  wherever  he  preached,  and  ma- 
ny learned  characters  flocked  to  hear  their  professional 
brother.  Some  of  his  discourses  were  of  the  most  master. 
ly  kind,  and  displayed,  in  a  very  attracting  manner,  the 
splendid  resources  of  his  devout  and  highly  cultivated 
mind.  At  other  times  that  nervous  affection  and  depres- 
iiion  of  spirits,  of  which  he  was  frequently  the  unhappy 
subject,  in  a  measure  unfitted  him  for  the  labours  of  the 
pulpit ;  "  but  his  most  desultory  performances  were  pious 
and  affectionate,  and  ii'  many  instances  truly  eloquent. 
His  preaching  was  blessed  to  the  awakening  and  com- 
forting of  numbers  in  different  places.  He  left  behind  him 
a  large  circle  of  sincere  friends  to  mourn  his  early  re- 
moval." 

This  honourable  preacher  possessed  an  estate  in  Geor- 
gia, w  hich  placed  him  abo\e  the  need  of  any  reward  for  his 
ministerial  services,  and  he  had  conceived  the  benevolent 
design  of  planting  his  family  in  an  eligible  situation  in  one 
of  the  middle  States,  and  bestowing  his  labours  on  desti- 
tute churches,  w  hich  were  not  well  able  to  support  preach- 
ers among  them.  For  this  employment  he  was  well  fitted. 
But  the  solicitations  of  Dr.  Stillman  and  his  respectable 
church,  induced  him  to  alter  his  plan,  and  settle  among 
them.  But  in  this  situation,  as  has  been  stated,  Provi- 
dence saw  fit  that  he  should  not  long  continue.  By  the 
decease  of  this  eminent  minister,  in  the  meridian  of  life, 
all  the  flattering  expectations  of  the  christian  publick 
were  cut  off.  He  left  behind  him  an  amiable  widow, 
and  a  number  of  children.  His  oldest  daughter  had,  a 
litde  before  his  death,  married  into  the  flimily  of  the  Hon. 
William  Gray,  lately  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

For  about  four  years  past  this  church  has  been  destitute 
of  a  pastor.  It  has  had  many  candidates,  but  no  one  as 
yet  has  appeared  to  meet  their  united  views. 

The  lot  in  the  possession  of  this  church,  is  of  the  fol- 
lowing dimensions  :  On  Back-Street,  Slz  feet  ;  on  Still- 
man-Street,  about  250  feet  ;  114  feet  of  this  distance  it 
continues  the  same  w  idth  as  on  Back-Street.  This  space 
forms  a  handsome  court  in  front  of  the  meeting- -house. 
40  feet  further  it  is  about  TO  feet  w  ide,  and  the  remainder 


40G  Second  Church  in  Boston'. 

of  it  is  80.     This  spacious  lot  has  been  enlarged  at  differ- 
ent times  to  its  present  convenient  size. 

The  original  house  built  in  1678  was  small ;  but  I  do 
not  find  by  any  records  or  tradition  that  any  alteration  was 
made  in  it  until  1771  ;  then  it  was  removed,  and  a  new  one 
built,  53  feet  by  57.  This  house  was  enlarged  in  1791, 
to  its  present  dimensions,  which  are  77  feet  by  57.  It 
is  built  of  wood,  has  a  porch  in  front,  and  a  small  vestry 
in  the  rear.  Besides  this  vestry,  there  is  one  almost  ad- 
joining the  house  on  the  north  side,  46  feet  by  19, 
built  ni  1799. 

Second  Church  in  Boston.  This  Church  proceeded 
from  the  First  in  1743.  As  it  arose  after  the  storm  of 
persecution  was  over,  and  has  never  experienced  any  vicis- 
situdes except  what  are  common  in  the  progress  of  such 
churches,  its  history  will  be  short  compared  with  the  one 
we  have  just  related. 

While  Mr.  Condy  was  pastor  of  the  first  church,  a  num- 
ber of  its  members  became  dissatisfied  with  his  doctrinal 
sentiments,  which  appear  to  have  been  different  from  those 
on  which  that  body  was  founded,  or  which  it  has  maintain- 
ed since  his  time.  These  brethren  sent  in  a  protest  to  the 
church,  in  which  they  stated  many  articles  of  grievance  ; 
but  the  substance  of  all  was,  that  their  pastor  was  what 
they  called  an  Arminian  ;  and  that  if  matters  remained  as 
they  were,  they  should  be  under  the  painful  necessity  of 
proceeding  to  a  separation.  This  was  in  September,  1742, 
and  as  they  obtained  no  satisfaction,  in  July  of  the  next 
year,  seven  brethren,  viz.  James  Bound,  John  Proctor, 
Ephraim  Bosworth,  John  Dabney,  Thomas  Boucher, 
Ephraim  Bound,  and  Thomas  Lewis,  formed  themselves 
into  a  new  church,  and  elected  Ephraim  Bound  their  pas- 
tor. James  Bound  and  Mr.  Dabney  were  from  England ; 
Boucher  was  from  Wales  ;  Proctor  was  of  Boston  ;  Bos- 
worth was  of  Hull  near  to  Boston,  and  having  no  children, 
he  gave  the  church  a  good  estate,  the  remains  of  which 
they  still  enjoy.  Of  the  other  brethren  we  have  no  partic- 
ular account.  Not  long  after  this  church  began  its  pro* 
gress,  one  Philip  Freeman  came  over  from  London  and 
united  with  them.  He  sent  over  an  account  of  their  prin- 
ciples and  conduct  to  Dr.  Gill,  which  met  the  approbation 
of  that  illustrious  divine,  and  induced  him  to  make  them  a 


Second  Church  in  Boston-.  407 

generous  donation  of  the  following  articles,  viz.  one  large 
cup,  four  smaller  ones,  two  dishes,  two  plates  and  a  large 
damask  cloth  for  the  communion  table  ;  7  sets  of  baptismal 
gainients,  viz.  one  for  the  minister,  three  for  men,  and  three 
more  for  women,  and  books  to  the  amount  of  about  fifty- 
dollars.^  At  the  same  time  they  received  a  further  gift 
of  forty-eight  volumes  of  the  sermons  of  the  then  late  Rev, 
Mr.  Hill,  aji  Independent  minister  of  London,  successor 
to  Dr.  Ridgley.  The  sermons  were  sent  by  the  author's 
father,  to  be  given  away  at  the  direction  of  the  church. 

Mr.  Bound's  ordination  was  a  matter  of  some  difficulty, 
as  no  ministers  could  be  found  near  to  assist  on  the  occa- 
sion. The  church  applied  to  the  aged  Mr.  Wightman, 
of  Groton,  Connecticut,  but  he  was  too  old  and  infirm  to 
undertake  such  a  journey.  Finally,  Mr.  Bound  went  to 
Warwick,  Rhode-Island,  where  he  met  the  venerable  El- 
der from  Groton,  and  was  ordained  by  him.  Dr.  Green  of 
Leicester,  and  an  Elder  Whipple.  "  Mr.  Bound  was  a 
plain,  unlettered  man,  but  an  able  minister  of  the  New- 
Testament  :  Like  ApoUos  he  was  mighty  in  the  Scriptures, 
and  the  want  of  human  learning  was  abundantly  made  up 
by  that  gracious  unction,  with  which  God  \\as  pleased  to 
favour  him.  Numbers  came  from  considerable  distance 
to  hear  the  word,  and  additions  were  made  to  the  church, 
not  only  of  the  inhabitants  of  Boston,  but  also  from  Hull, 
Newton,  Needham,  Medfield,  Chelmsford,  Lynn,  and 
other  places. "t  Under  his  ministry  the  church  increased 
from  seven  to  a  hundred  and  twenty,  and  many  were  awak- 
ened by  his  means  who  joined  to  Pedobaptist  churches. 
But  in  the  midst  of  prosperity  and  usefulness,  in  the  20th 
year  of  his  ministry,  he  was  seized  by  a  paralytic  shock, 
from  the  effects  of  which  he  never  fully  recovered.  He 
died  1765,  much  lamented  by  his  flock  and  fiiends,  but 
with  a  comfortable  assurance  of  a  blessed  immortality. 
During  his  feeble  state,  the  church  obtained  occasional  as- 
sistance from  others,  particularly  from  the  late  Dr.  Stillman, 

*  These  communion  vessels  have  been  given  away  to  churches  in  the 
country,  but  the  church  has  supplied  their  place  with  an  elegant  new  set  con- 
sisting of  twelve  cups,  two  large  flaggons  and  four  plates,  which  together  are 
reputed  to  be  worth  600  dollars. 

t  Dr.  Baldwin's  Sermon  at  the  opening  of  the  New  Meeting-House,  i» 
1811,  p,  25,  26.  .     '        ^ 


408  Second  Church  in  Boston* 

who,  at  their  invitation,  removed  from  Bordentown,  New- 
Jersey,  and  served  them  as  an  assistant  to  Mr.  Bound,  for 
the  space  of  one  year. 

The  second  pastor  of  this  church  was  Mr.  John  Davis, 
a  native  of  the  State  of  Delaware,  and  a  son  of  David  Davis, 
one  of  the  pastors  of  the  Welsh  Track  church,  in  that 
State.  He  was  educated  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  commenced  his  labours  here  in  the  spring  of  1770. 
His  ministry  in  Boston  was  short,  but  highly  respectable. 
He,  in  company  with  Mr.  Backus,  took  an  active  part: 
against  the  oppressive  measures  of  the  ruling  party,  and  in 
1771,  he  was  chosen  by  the  Warren  ^Association,  as  their 
agent,  to  use  his  influence  both  in  Massachusetts  and  in 
London,  to  obtain  the  establishment  of  equal  religious  lib- 
erty in  the  land.  In  the  prosecution  of  this  agency,  the 
nature  of  which  will  be  explained  in  Mr.  Backus'  biogra- 
phy, he  met  with  the  cordial  approbation  of  his  friends,  but 
with  much  abusive  treatment  from  the  opposite  party. 
Every  thing  in  Mr.  Davis  presaged  a  course  of  distinguish- 
ed usefulness.  His  learning,  abilities,  and  zeal,  were  ade- 
quate to  any  services  to  which  his  brethren  might  call  him. 
Mr.  Backus  had  now  begun  his  history,  and  had  the 
promise  of  assistance  from  this  literary  companion  ;  but  a 
mysterious  Providence  saw  fit  to  cut  him  down  almost  in 
the  beginning  of  his  course.  In  about  two  years  after  hia 
settlement  in  Boston,  he  went  into  a  decline.  By  the  ad- 
vice of  his  friends  he  returned  to  his  native  state,  hoping 
that  a  softer  atmosphere  might  remove  his  complaints. 
And  having  in  some  measure  recovered  his  health,  with  a 
view  of  confirming  it,  he  set  out  on  a  journey  into  the  wes- 
tern country,  in  company  with  Dr.  David  Jones,  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  near  the  Ohio  River,  December  13th,  1773, 
after  an  illness  of  three  weeks,  finished  his  earthly  course, 
in  the  36th  year  of  his  age.  His  last  words,  according  to 
Mr.  Jones'  account,  were,  "  In  a  little  time  I  expect  to  be 
with  Christ,  to  see  and  know  him  as  he  is  known,  and  as 
he  is  not  known.  My  faith  in  my  Saviour  is  unshaken." 
.Mr.  Davis  was  a  member  of  the  Philosophical  Society  of 
Philadelphia  ;  and  was  also  one  of  the  Fellows  of  the  Bap- 
tist College  at  Providence. 

The  third  pastor  of  this  church  was  Isaac  Skillman,  D.  D. 
a  native  of  New- Jersey,  and  a  graduate  of  Prii\ceton  Col 


Second  Church  in  Boston,  409 

lege.  Mr.  Skillman  was  sent  out  into  the  ministry  by 
the  first  church  in  J^ew-York,  and  having  been  ordained 
there,  it  was  mutually  agreed  that  he  should  discharge  the 
pastoral  duties  here,  witliout  a  formal  installation.-*  He 
commenced  his  labours  in  1773,  and  continued  them  until 
1787,  a  period  of  fourteen  years.  At  his  own  request, 
he  was  then  disniissed,  and  returned  to  New-Jersey.  He 
afterwards  took  the  charge  of  the  Salem  church  in  that 
State,  where  he  closed  his  life  and  ministry  together  a 
few  years  since.  Dr.  Skillman  was  a  man  of  learning  and 
abilities,  but  never  very  popular  as  a  preacher. 

The  fourth  in  office  here,  was  Thomas  Gair,  a  native  of 
the  town,  and  a  graduate  of  Providence  College.  Mr. 
Gair  v/as  awakened  under  the  ministry  of  Dr.  Stillman, 
when  about  sixteen  j^ears  of  age,  and  soon  after  joined  the 
church  of  which  he  was  pastor.  Not  long  after  he  had 
finished  his  education,  in  which  he  was  assisted  by  his 
friends,  he  was  settled  in  Medfield,  where  he  continued 
about  ten  years.  Peculiar  circumstances  then  making  it 
necessary  for  him  to  leave  that  people,  he,  upon  the  re- 
moval  of  Dr.  Skillman,  began  to  labour  here,  and  in  a  few 
months  after  was  publicly  inctalled  in  the  pastoral  office. 
"  To  undissembled  piety  and  respectable  talents,  Mr. 
Gair  added  a  dignified  deportment,  and  a  gentleness  of 
manners,  which  rendered  him  highly  acceptable  to  all 
classes  of  people."  But  wliile  rising  into  eminence  and 
usefulness,  he  was  suddenly  arrested  with  a  nervous,  pu- 
trid fever,  of  which  he  died,  April  27th,  1790,  in  the  36th 
year  of  his  age. 

Thomas  Baldwin,  D.D.  the  present  pastor  of  this  body, 
was  the  immediate   successor  of  Mr.   Gair,   and   VA'as  in- 

*  This  installation  will  need  some  explanation  to  our  brethren  abroad,  as 
we  read  nothing-  of  it  in  the  New-Testament,  nor  in  the  history  of  the  Bap- 
tists in  other  countries.  It  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  going  over  the  same 
ceremonies  with  an  ordained  minister,  when  he  takes  the  pastoral  care  of  a 
church,  as  were  practised  when  he  was  first  set  apart  for  the  ministry.  If 
a  minister  has  not  been  a  subject  for  the  ordaining  ceremony,  he  is  ordained 
into  office  ;  if  he  has,  he  is  installed  into  it  Both  is  the  same  thing  in  form, 
although  called  by  different  names.  This  sacred  installing  is  practised  uni. 
fornily  by  the  New-England  Pedobaptists,  and  from  them  the  Baptists  seem 
to  have  borrowed  it.  It  was,  however,  never  practised  but  by  a  comparative- 
ly few  churches  ;  among  some  of  them  it  is  going  into  disuse,  and  by  all  ix 
is  hoped  it  will  soon  be  laid  aside.  If  those,  who  practise  installation.,  ar^ 
not  i?e-baptizers,  they  ajre  constantly  i?f-ordainers. 
VOL.    I.  52 


410  Second  Church  in  Boston-, 

vested  with  the  pastoral  office,  November,  1790.  He  was 
born  at  Norwich  in  Connecticut,  the  birtL  place  of  Mr. 
Buckus,  December  23,  1753.  He  was  ordained  in  Ca- 
naan, New-Hampshire,  in  1783,  and  laboured  in  that 
town,  and  adjoining  ones,  until  he  removed  to  his  present 
situation.  He  has  been  the  pastor  of  this  ftock  over  twen- 
ty years,  which  has  increased  under  his  successful  minis- 
try, from  ninety  to  upwards  of  four  hundred,  besides  suf- 
fering large  diminutions  in  different  ways.  Bv  Dr.  Bald- 
win have  been  baptized  478  persons  who  have  united  with 
this  church.  About  the  time  he  commenced  his  pastoral 
labours,  a  revival  began,  in  which  not  far  from  seventy  were 
added  to  this  church,  and  about  the  same  number  to  the 
old  one. 

In  1803,  another  reviv-al  commenced,  which  became 
more  extensive  in  its  prevalence  ;  it  continued  for  more 
than  two  years,  in  which  time  about  two  hundred  were 
added  to  this  church,  and  nearly  the  same  number  to  the 
First. 

The  lot  in  the  possession  of  this  church  was,  in  its  orig- 
inal form,  the  gift  of  Mr.  Bosworth  :  additions  have  been 
made  to  it  at  different  times,  so  that  it  is  now  of  the  fol- 
lowing size.  On  Back- Street  (not  far  from  the  old  church) 
1)0  feet,  and  continues  the  same  width  270  feet  to  within  12 
feet  at  one  corner  and  upu  ards  of  30  at  the  other  of  Mar- 
gin-Street, which  was  lately  made  by  filling  up  a  Mill 
Pond.  This  lot  would  be  one  of  the  handsomest  in  town 
were  it  not  for  the  incumbrance  of  one  of  considerable  size 
near  its  middle,  on  which  are  a  cluster  of  old  unsightly- 
buildings,  which  they  hope  soon  to  purchase  and  move  off. 
Adjoining  Back-Street  is  the  parsonage-house  which  is 
reputed  in  common  tijnes  worth  about  200  dollars  a  yeaf. 
This  house  was  built  with  the  avails  of  Mr.  Bosworth's 
estate.  The  meeting-house  stands  back  almost  200  feet, 
and  has  an  alley  leading  to  it  12  feet  wide. 

The  first  house  of  worship  erected  by  this  church  was 
small,  and  was  finished  in  1746.  This  was  enlarged  dur- 
ing the  ministry  of  Mr.  Gair,  in  1789.  Another  addition 
was  made  to  it  in  1797,  which  made  it  69  feet  by  S2> ;  but  this 
large  building  was  generally  well  filled,  and  often  crowded 
to  an  uncomfortable  degree.     The  Congregation  continu- 


Third  Church  in  Boston.  411 

ing  to  increase,  and  the  house,  which  was  built  of  wood, 
needing  considerable  repairs,  it  was,  in  1810,  removed  to 
make  room  for  their  present  spacious  edifice,  of  brick, 
covered  with  slate,  and  is  eighty  feet  by  seventy-five,  ex- 
clusive of  the  tower,  which  is  thirty  eight  feet  by  eighteen. 
This  house,  exclusive  of  some  costly  appendages,  was  built 
at  the  expense  of  more  than  22.000  dollars. 

Third  Church  in  Boston. — This  body  was  formed  in 
1807,  of  24  members,  19  of  whom  were  from  the  Second 
Church,  and  5  from  the  First.  Nothing  very  special  has 
occurred  during  its  progress.  The  motives  which  led  to  its 
formation  were,  that  the  great  revival  in  this  town  in  1803, 
and  onward,  increased  the  two  churches  so  much,  that  ma- 
ny were  unable  to  get  seats  in  their  houses,  and  they  con* 
ceived,  that  the  state  of  religion  in  the  town  rendered  it 
peculiarly  desirable,  that  another  place  should  be  erected, 
Mhere  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  the  discriminating  truths  of 
of  the  gospel  might  be  proclaimed. 

In  1806,  a  house  for  worship  was  begun,  which  w-as 
opened  August  5th,  1807,  the  same  day  the  church  was 
formed.  This  house  is  situated  on  Charles-Street,  in  the  west 
part  of  the  town  ;  it  is  built  of  brick,  75  feet  square,  exclusive 
of  the  tower.  It  is  an  elegant  edifice,  adorned  with  a  cupola 
and  bell,  and  cost  27,000  dollars.  The  lot  is  but  a  little  larg- 
er than  the  house,  most  of  which  was  given  by  the  Mount 
Vernon  Company. 

The  same  year  this  church  was  formed,  Mr.  Caleb 
B'ood,  of  Shaftsbury,  Vermont,  became  its  pastor,  which 
office  he  sustained  about  three  years,  when  he  removed  to 
his  present  situation  at  Portland,  Maine. 

Successor  to  him  was  Mr.  Daniel  Sharp,  who  was 
born  at  Huddersfield,  in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1783  ;  his 
father  is  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Forsley,  near  Leeds, 
in  the  same  county.  Mr.  Sharp  came  to  America  in  1805, 
and  was  sent  into  the  ministry  by  the  Fayette- Street  Church, 
New- York,  the  year  following.  After  studying  about  two 
years  w'ith  Dr.  Staughton,  of  Philadelphia,  he  became  pas- 
tor of  the  church  in  Newark,  New- Jersey,  where  he  continu- 
ed until  the  autumn  of  1811,  when  he  came  on  to  Boston  ; 
and  the  ensuing  spring  was  invested  with  the  pastoral  care 
of  this  body. 


412  African  Church  in  Boston* 

African  Church. — This  community  of  sable  brethren 
arose  in  1805  ;  their  number  at  first  was  twenty,  most  of 
ivhom  were  the  fruits  of  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Thomas  Paul, 
a  man  of  their  oun  colour,  who  is  their  present  pastor. 
The  year  after  this  church  was  formed,  they  began  to  make 
exertions  tow  ards  building  them  a  place  of  worship.  They 
chose  a  committee  to  make  collections  ;  among  whom  was 
Cato  Gardiner,  a  native  of  Africa,  who  had  long  been  one  of 
Dr.  Stil'man's  respectable  members.  Cato  was  all  alive 
in  the  business  ;  by  his  importunity  Dr.  Stillman  drew  a 
subscription  paper,  which  he  circulated  in  different  places, 
and  obtained  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  Cato,  notwith- 
standing his  age,  had  faith  to  believe  that  his  bretnren 
would  have  a  house  for  their  use,  and  that  he  sliould  live 
to  see  it  finished,  which  he  did,  and  soon  after  died. 
Others  of  the  church  made  collections  to  a  conside?abie 
amount,  and  having  received  encouragement  to  go  forward 
in  their  design,  they  chose  a  committee  of  w-hi:e  men  to 
superintend  their  building,  which  was  finished  in  1806. 
This  committee  consisted  of  Messrs.  Daniel  Wild,  John 
Wait,  William  Bentley,  Mitchell  Lincoln,  Ward  Jackson, 
and  Edward  Stevens.  Some  of  these  gentlemen  made 
large  advances  tow-ards  the  house,  which  with  the  lot  they 
hold  in  trust  for  the  church,  until  the  debts  are  discharged, 
then  they  are  to  give  a  deed  of  it  to  the  bod}  for  whom  it 
was  built.  This  house  is  built  of  brick  40  feet  by  48, 
three  stories  high.  The  lower  story  is  fitted  up  for  a 
school  room,  for  coloured  children,  and  has  been  occupied 
for  that  purpose  from  the  time  it  was  finished.  The  in- 
structer  is  Prince  Saunders,  a  man  of  colour  of  education  ; 
his  school  generally  consists  of  about  40  scholars.  The 
two  upper  stories  are  well  finished  with  pews,  pulpit,  gal- 
leries, &c.  the  lot  is  small,  and  that  with  the  house  cost 
8,0(0  dollars.  Debts  of  considerable  amount  have  been 
upon  this  establishment  till  lately,  but  by  Mr.  Paul's  col- 
lections they  are  now-  nearly  all  discharged. 

Mr.  Paul,  the  pastor  of  this  flock,  was  born  in  Exeter, 
New-Hampshire,  in  1773  ;  he  was  sent  into  the  ministrj'' 
by  the  church  in  Limerick,  Maine,  at  the  arc  of  28  ;  he 
has  preached  successfully  in  various  places  both  before  and 
after  he  was  settled  in  Boston. 


Charlestoiim  Church.  413 

Notwithstanding  our  brethren  in  Boston  were  so  severe- 
ly persecuted  at  first  yet  the  storm  was  soon  over,  and  they 
lived  in  the  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  their  rights,  while 
their  brethren,  in  different  parte  of  the  country,  were  fleec- 
ed, imprisoned,  and  distressed  in  various  ways.  The 
reason  for  this  difference  was,  that  in  this  town  all  monies 
for  religious  purposes  are  collected  by  a  tax  on  the  pews, 
and  not  on  the  estates  of  the  worshippers.  This  custom 
has  prevailed  from  early  times,  and  Mr.  Backus  assures 
us,  that  no  one  of  the  Baptist  persuasion  has  been  obliged 
to  pay  any  money  to  the  Congregationalists  since  about 
1G90. 

From  the  First  Church  in  Boston  have  originated,  1st, 
The  church  at  Kittery,  in  the  District  of  Maine,  in  1682, 
as  has  been  related  in  the  account  of  that  District.  2d,  The 
Second  Church  in  this  town.  3d,  Most  of  the  church  in 
Charlestown,  which  was  formed  in  1801.  Other  church- 
es around  have  probably  received  a  part  of  their  members 
from  this,  but  I  have  not  received  sufficient  information  on 
this  point  to  make  any  authentic  statements. 

Charlestoivn  Church  was  embodied  in  1801  of  twenty 
members,  most  of  whom  were  dismissed  from  the  church 
thei>  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Stillman.  The  same  day  the 
church  was  organized,  a  \ery  commodious  house  which 
had  just  been  finished  was  opened  for  publick  worship. 
Dr.  Stillman  preached  on  the  occasion  from,  Behold,  hoxv 
good  and  pleasant  it  is,  for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in 
unity.  At  the  close  of  his  discourse,  he  made  the  follow- 
ing interesting  address  to  the  new  formed  church  : 

"  DEARLY  BELOVED  IN  OL'R  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST, 

"  In  the  year  1665,  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Boston, 
from  which  most  of  you  have  been  dismissed,  originated 
in  this  town.  To-day  she  sends  you  back  at  your  own  de- 
sire, in  conjunction  with  our  friends  from  the  Second  Bap- 
tist Church  in  Boston,  to  form  a  church  where  she  began. 
But  how  great  the  difference  between  that  period  and  this ! 
Then  the  right  of  private  judgment  was  denied  ;  now  all  is 
candour,  love  and  friendship.  This  event  is  surely  provi- 
dential :   to  human  agency  alone  it  cannot  be  ascribed. 

"  The  churches  you  have  left  ha^■e  dismissed  you  with  all 
that  christian  affection,  which  has  arisen  from  a  long  and 


414  C/iarlestown  Church. 

jfleasing  acquaintance  with  you,  and  from  your  constant 
endeavour  to  behave  as  becomes  the  gospel :  believing,  at 
the  same  time,  that  this  event  will  terminate  in  the  better 
accommodation  of  yourselves  and  families,  and  the  advance- 
ment of  the  interests  of  religion  and  morality.  Go  and 
prosper,  and  the  Lord  be  with  you." 

The  first  pastor  here  was  Mr.  Thomas  Waterman  from 
England,  now  at  Woburn,  who  tarried  with  them  but  a 
short  time.  In  1804  they  obtained  for  their  pastor  Mr. 
William  Collier,  who  still  continues  with  them.  Mr.  Collier 
was  born  at  Scituate  a  little  below  Boston  in  1771 ;  was  edu- 
cated at  Brown  University  ;  sent  into  the  ministry  by  the 
Second  Church  in  Boston,  and  was  for  about  four  years 
pastor  of  the  First  Church  in  New- York.  The  church 
under  consideration  moved  on  in  harmony  from  the  com- 
mencement of  Mr.  Collier's  ministry  until  1809,  when  a 
series  of  difficulties  began  respecting  church  order,  &c. 
which  issued  in  the  division  of  the  church  and  the  founding 
a  new  one,  of  which  we  shall  give  some  account  Vv  hen  we 
come  to  speak  of  the  churches  which  hold  to  Weekly 
Communion.* 

At  the  time  of  this  division  a  question  arose  respecting 
the  meeting  house.  This  had  been  built  by  an  associa- 
tion of  gentlemen  of  the  Baptist  persuasion  previous  to  the 
founding  of  the  church.  It  is  fifty  feet  by  scventy-five, 
with  a  tower,  cupola,  bell,  &c.  and  cost  upwards  of  11,000 
dollars.  It  was  expected  the  pews  would  pay  the  expense 
of  it.  The  fee  of  it  was  in  Mr.  Oliver  Holden,  who  gave 
the  lot,  was  treasurer  to  the  association,  by  whom  it  was 
built,  and  had  made  large  advances  towards  its  erection. 
No  deed  had  been  conveyed  either  to  the  original  under- 
takers or  the  church,  and  matters  were  left  in  a  loose  way, 
until  the  division  took  place.  The  church,  desirous  of  re- 
taining  the  house  for  their  use,  inquired  of  Mr.  Holden 
the  lowest  terms  on  which  he  would  give  them  a  deed — 

•  The  reason  assigned  by  the  seceding  party  for  their  separation,  was, 
that  the  church  retained  in  her  bosom  a  number  of  members  who  held  doc- 
trinal errors  of  different  kinds.  The  leaders  of  the  church  acknowledge  that 
they  were  then  infested  with  errors,  but  they  also  contend  that  they  had 
previously  commenced  a  course  of  discipline,  which  after  some  interruptions 
was  carried  through,  andthosG  erroneous  members  who  could  not  be  reclaim- 
ed were  excluded,  so  that  they  are  now  united  in  the  faith  and  fellowship  of 
the  gospel. 


Branches  probably  from  the  2d  Church  in  Boston.  415 

which  were  not  such  as  they  saw  fit  to  comply^  with.  They 
next  proposed  to  relinquish  all  their  right  in  the  house, 
provided  he  would  exonerate  them  from  all  debts  upon  it, 
which  proposal  he  accepted,  it  being  then  expected  that  a 
miiiister  would  come  on  from  the  southward  to  occupy  it. 
The  church  was  thus  rendered  destitute  of  a  house  for 
worship.  By  Mr.  Holden's  permiiTsion  they  occupied  his, 
until,  by  their  own  exertions,  and  the  assistance  of  others, 
they  erected  the  one  which  they  now  occupy,  which  is  a 
commodious  brick  building,  one  story  high,  70  feet  by  47i. 
The  fee  of  it  is  in  the  church,  where  it  ever  ought  to  be. 
Mr.  Holden  and  his  associates  meet  in  a  school  house,  and 
thus,  by  their  going  out,  one  after  another,  the  great  house 
is  left  alone. 

Respecting  the  branches  of  the  Second  Church  in  Bos- 
ton, we  have  already  observed,  that  during  the  ministry  of 
Mr.  Bound  additions  were  made  to  it  from  Hull,  Newton, 
Needham,  Medfield,  Chelmsford,  Lynn,  &c.  In  most  of 
these  places  churches  afterwards  arose,  and  these  members 
doubtless  laid  the  foundations  for  them.  In  Chelmsford 
a  church  was  formed  in  1771,  and  Elisha  Rich,  who  after- 
wards went  to  Vermont,  was  its  first  pastor.  After  him 
was  Samuel  Fletcher  and  Abishai  Crossman,  who  were 
only  sojourners,  and  soon  went  to  other  places.  In  1792, 
John  Peckens  was  settled  among  them,  and  yet  remains  in. 
the  pastoral  office.  The  church  in  Medfield  was  formed 
in  1776,  and  Thomas  Gair  was  its  pastor  ten  years.  Af- 
ter him  they  were  a  long  time  destitute,  but  have  lately 
settled  among  them,  much  to  their  satisfaction,  a  young 
man  by  the  name  of  William  Gammell,  from  the  First 
Church  in  Boston.  The  church  in  Newton,  only  nine 
miles  from  Boston,  was  formed  in  1780,  partly  of  mem- 
bers from  the  Second  Church,  and  partly  from  the  re.- 
mainsof  two  5'£'/?i2ra/<?  churches,  one  of  Newton  and  the 
other  of  Brookline.  Mr.  Caleb  Blood,  now  of  Portland, 
Maine,  became  its  pastor  the  year  after  it  was  formed,  and 
continued  in  that  office  about  seven  years,  when  he  went 
to  Shaftsbury,  in  Vermont.  In  1788,  Joseph  Grafton  was 
settled  among  them,  and  still  continues  their  worthy  and 
much  respected  pastor.  Mr.  Grafton  was  born  in  New- 
port, Rhode-Island,  June  9,  1757.     Under  his  ministry  in 


416         Cambridge,  Wohurn^^ Haverhill  Churches, 

this  place  a  number  of  precious  revivals  have  been  experi-, 
enced,  and  the  church  has  been  built  up  to  a  large  and  re- 
spectable body. 

In  Cambridge,  adjoining  Boston,  there  was  a  Baptist 
church  as  early  as  1751  ;  but  it  seems  never  to  have  flour- 
ished much,  and  after  experiencing  a  number  of  painful 
vicissitudes,  it  was  broken  up,  and  the  members  scattered 
in  different  ways.  In  1781,  a  new  church  arose  of  mem- 
bers in  Cambridge,  and  the  adjoining  towns  of  Woburn 
and  Lexington.  The  seat  of  the  church  has  since  been 
transferred  to  Woburn,  and  it  is  now  supplied  by  the  la- 
bours of  Mr.  Thomas  Waterman,  from  England. 

Haverhill. — This  town  is  on  the  Merrimack  River, 
thirty  nnles  north  of  Boston.  The  Baptist  church  here  was 
founded  in  troublesome  times,  under  the  ministry  of  its  late 
renowned  pastor,  Hezekiah  Smith,  d.  d. 

In  the  New-Light  Stir  in  Whitefield's  time,  a  small  so- 
ciety of  Separates  was  formed  in  Haverhill,  which,  how- 
ever, did  not  continue  long;  but  the  savour  of  this  New- 
Light  spirit  probably  remained  after  the  society  was  broken 
up.  Sometime  after  this,  one  of  the  parish  ministers  of 
the  town  became  obnoxious  to  his  people  ;  controversies 
and  councils  ensued,  and  in  the  end  he  uas  shut  out  of  his 
meeting-house,  and  dismissed  from  his  office,  and  the  par- 
ish remained  destitute  of  a  preacher,  until  Mr.  Smith, 
who  was  then  travelling  as  an  itinerant  through  New-Eng- 
land, paid  them  a  visit,  and  preached  among  them  so 
much  to  their  acceptance,  that  they  invited  him  to  tarry 
and  supply  them  awhile.  This  was  in  the  summer  of  1764. 
He  had  calculated  on  returning  to  New-Jersey  the  ensuing 
autumn  ;  but  finding  his  labours  blessed,  he  consented  to 
remain  and  labour  for  the  present  in  this  vacant  parish. 
He  had  been  treated  with  respect  by  the  Pedobaptist  min- 
isters around,  and  some  of  them  had  invited  him  to  preach 
in  their  pulpits  ;  but  as  soon  as  he  was  stationed  in  one  of 
their  folds,  which  their  quarrels  had  made  vacant,  they 
dismissed  their  civilities,  and  exerted  all  their  influence 
against  him.  They  doubtless  feared  the  prevalence  of 
Baptist  principles  in  this  Pedobaptist  flock,  and  that  not 
without  just  grounds  ;  for  in  May,  1765,  a  Baptist  Church 
was  founded  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  Mr.  Smith  became 
its  pastor,  and  continued   in   the  successful  and  dignified 


Ha'oerhill  Church.  417 

discharge  of  that  office  forty  years.  A  number  of  the 
firbt  members  of  this  church  and  congregation  were,  for 
a  while,  harassed  with  sheriffs  and  parish  rates  ;  but  their 
oppressors,  finding  them  not  easy  of  management,  were 
induced  soon  to  let  them  alone. 

As  no  very  remarkable  occurrences  appear  to  have 
transpired  in  the  progress  of  this  church,  we  shall  confine 
our  attention  principally  to  the  history  of  its  founder  and 
late  distinguished  pastor. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  on  Long-Island,  in  the  State  of 
New- York,  April  21,  1737.  He  was  a  happy  instance  of 
early  piety,  as  appears  by  his  making  a  publick  profession  of 
religion  before  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age.  He  was  ed- 
ucated at  Princeton  College,  New-Jersey,  that  distinguish- 
ed seminary  of  illustrious  men,  where  he  graduated  in 
1762.  He  was  a  companion  of  Dr.  Manning  from  early 
years,  and  during  the  President's  life,  though  stationed 
seventy  miles  apart,  they  were  generally  called  together  on 
all  important  occasions,  which  regarded  the  Baptist  inter- 
est. They  were  both  taught  the  rudiments  of  science  at 
Mr.  Eaton's  Academy  at  Hopewell,  and  they  were  also 
class-mates  in  College.  Mr.  Smith,  soon  after  he  began 
to  preach,  took  a  journey  to  the  southward,  in  which  he 
was  gone  over  a  year  ;  he  went  as  far  as  Georgia,  preach- 
ed much  ill  South-Carolina,  was  ordained,  and  laboured  a 
while  at  a  place  then  called  Cashaway,  now  Mount  Pleas- 
ant, on  the  Pedee  River,  in  that  State,  and  in  different 
places  made  collections  of  considerable  amount  for  the 
College,  which  his  friend  Manning  was  about  establishing 
in  Rhode- Island.  His  beginning  at  Haverhill  has  already 
been  mentioned.  At  first  he  was  treated  here  with  much 
abuse  by  a  set  of  outrageous  zealots,  who  equalled  the  rude 
Virginians  in  their  mode  of  deiending  their  established 
worship.  The  most  scandalous  reports  were  circulated 
against  his  character ;  and  in  addition  to  these,  he  was  per- 
sonally insulted,  and  his  life  endangered.  A  beetle  was 
cast  at  him  one  evening  as  he  was  walking  the  street,  which 
he  took  up  and  carried  to  his  lodging.  After  he  was  in 
bed,  a  stone  was  thrown  through  his  window,  and  struck 
near  his  head,  of  sufficient  size  to  have  proved  fatal  had  it 
hit  him.  His  horse  was  disfigured  in  the  same  way  that 
many  other  Baptist  ministers'  horses  have  been,  and  a  pa- 
voi,.   I.  53 


418  Mai^erhill  Church. 

per  put  on  the  door  of  the  house  where  he  lodged,  which 
threatened  him  with  worse  treatment  if  he  did  not  depart. 
He  was  once  assaulted  at  a  private  house  in  Bradford, 
where  he  had  appointed  to  preach,  by  a  sheriff  and  his  gang. 
As  he  got  up  to  speak,  the  chair  on  which  he  leaned  was 
snatched  away,  and  much  tumult  ensued  ;  but  the  rioters 
shortly  withdrew,  and  he  proceeded  in  his  discourse. 
Some  of  them,  however,  laid  wait  for  him  on  his  return 
home  ;  but  he,  without  knowing  their  cruel  design,  provi- 
dentially tarried  till  the  coldness  of  the  air  forced  them  from 
their  stand.  These  were  some  of  the  opposing  measures 
which  at  first  attended  this  intruder  upon  parish  lines. 
But  such  vVas  his  undaunted  courage,  his  patient  forbear- 
ance, and  powerful  eloquence,  that  his  impotent  adversa- 
ries were  soon  put  to  shame,  and  he  arose  to  pre-eminent 
esteem  among  all  around  him.  He  made  frequent  excur- 
.sions  in  the  neighbouring  towns,  and  a  number  of  church- 
es arose  mostly  by  his  means.  He  also  often  journied  in 
his  active  days  considerable  distarrces  around  in  New- 
Hampshire,  Maine,  and  other  places,  and  a  large  circle  of 
his  most  cordial  friends,  and  many  of  the  seals  of  his  min- 
istry, are  to  be  found  in  almost  every  part  of  the  surround- 
ing country.  As  he  advanced  in  years,  his  labours  were 
mostly  confined  to  his  own  congregation.  During  most  of 
the  revolutionary  war  he  served  as  a  chaplain  in  the  Amer- 
ican army,  where  his  dignified  and  exemplary  deportment 
gained  him  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  both  officers  and 
soldiers.  Like  Mr.  Gano,  often  did  he  expose  his  own 
life  to  danger  in  the  field  of  battle,  while  animating  the 
soldiers  and  soothing  the  sorrows  of  the  wounded  and 
dying. 

The  preceding  sketches  of  the  life  of  Dr.  Smith  have 
been  selected  mostly  from  Backus'  History,  and  from  a 
brief  memoir  in  the  Baptist  Magazine.  The  following 
description,  &c.  was  drawn  by  Dr.  Baldwin,  to  wliom  wc 
are  also  indebted  for  what  has  been  selected  from  the 
Magazine. 

"  As  a  preacher  Dr.  Smith  was  equalled  by  few.  His 
subjects  were  well  chosen,  and  always  evangelical.  His 
voice  was  strong  and  commanding,  and  his  manner  solemn 
and  impressive.  He  was  often  led  to  pour  the  balm  of 
consolation  into  the  wounded  conscience,  but  the  general 


Church  in  Salem,  4i9 

tenor  of  his  preaching  was  calculated  to  arouse  the  careless 
and  secure. 

"  In  stature.  Dr.  Smith  was  considerably  above  the  mid- 
dling size,  being  about  six  feet  in  height,  and  well  propor- 
tioned. His  countenance,  though  open  and  pleasant,  was 
peculiarly  solemn  and  majestic.  In  his  deportment,  he 
was  mild,  dignified  and  grave,  equally  distant  from  priest- 
ly hauteur,  and  superstitious  reserve.  He  never  thought 
religion  incompatible  with  real  politeness  ;  hence  the  gen- 
tleman, the  scholar  and  the  christian  were  happily  blended 
in  his  character.  And  such  was  the  urbanity  of  his  man- 
ners, that  many  who  differed  from  him  in  his  religious 
opinions,  honoured  and  respected  him  as  a  gentleman  and 
companion.  While  the  wicked  were  awed  by  his  pres- 
ence, it  was  impossible  for  a  good  man  to  be  in  his  compa- 
ny, without  being  pleased  and  edified.  In  a  word,  he 
lived  beloved  and  respected,  and  died  greatly  lamented." 

Dr.  Smith  was  one  of  the  fellows  of  Brown  University, 
and  was,  through  life,  a  zealous  promoter  of  that  institu- 
tion. Dr.  Messer,  \v\\o  now  presides  over  it,  was  brought 
up  under  his  ministry. 

Successor  to  Dr.  Smith  is  Mr.  William  Batchelder,  who 
was  born  in  Boston,  1769  ;  commenced  his  ministry  in 
Deerfield,  New-Hampshire,  but  removed  hither  from 
Berwick,  in  the  District  of  Maine.  Under  his  ministry 
the  church  has  had  large  additions,  and  now  contains 
about  three  hundred  members. 

As  we  proceed  eastward  from  Boston,  we  find  the 
churches  of  Maiden,  Reading,  Salem,  Marblehead,  Bev- 
erly, Danvers,  Ipswich,  Newburyport,  &c.  of  only  a  part 
of  which  some  brief  sketches  can  be  given. 

Salem. — This  town  lies  about  thirteen  miles  eastward 
of  Boston.  In  it  Roger  Williams  began  his  Anabaptistical 
career  about  1635  ;  but  very  few  of  his  sentiments  have 
been  found  here  from  the  time  of  his  banishment  until 
within  a  few  years  past.  The  Salem  church  is  yet  in  its 
infancy,  but  it  has  arisen  to  a  distinguished  rank  among 
her  sister  communities,  and  originated  in  the  following 
manner :  In  the  winter  of  1803 — 4,  a  Baptist  meeting 
was  set  up  in  a  small  private  house  by  eight  or  ten  pro- 
fessors of  the  denomination  who  belonged  to  a  number  of 
the  neighbouring  churches.     They  conducted  the  meeting 


4-20  Church  in  Salem. 

mostly  in  a  social  manner,  but  procured  preachers  to  come 
among  them  as  often  as  convenient.  Perceiving  a  dispo- 
sition in  many  to  attend  their  worship,  they  often  lamented 
that  their  meeting  place  was  not  more  commodious.  The 
matter  lay  so  heavily  upon  their  minds,  that  they  soon 
held  a  special  prayer  meeting,  to  make  known  their  wants 
unto  God.  And  their  fervent  supplications  were  answer- 
ed in  a  most  remarkable  manner ;  in  two  weeks  from  this 
time,  the  following  gentlemen,  viz.  Capt.  Edward  Russel, 
and  Michael  Webb,  Esq.  came  forward  and  offered  to 
erect  for  them  a  place  of  worship.  This  proposition  was 
as  grateful  as  it  was  unexpected.  By  these  gentlemen  a 
one  story  wooden  building,  fifty-five  feet  by  thirty-six, 
was  set  forward,  and  was  so  far  finished,  that  by  the  last 
of  April,  1804,  the  first  sermon  was  preached  in  it  by 
Mr.  Lucius  Bolles,  who  was  at  that  time  studying  with 
Dr.  Still  man  of  Boston,  and  labouring  with  him  as  an  as- 
sistant. Spiritual  as  well  as  temporal  blessings  were  pour- 
ed upon  this  little  band,  and  the  number  of  baptized  be- 
lievers increased  so  much,  that  on  the  9th  of  January,  1805, 
they  were  embodied  into  a  church,  and  the  same  day  Mr. 
Bolles  was  oidained  their  pastor.  Since  that  time  they 
have  enjoyed  many  refreshing  seasons,  and  have  advanced 
rapidly  to  a  large  and  flourishing  community.  Their  congre- 
gation increased  so  fast,  that  the  house,  with  which  Provi- 
dence had  so  remarkably  furnished  them,  soon  became 
too  small  for  their  convenience.  They  therefore  soon  be- 
gan a  more  spacious  one,  which  was  opened  for  worship, 
January,  1806.  This  is  a  very  neat,  commodious  brick 
building,  seventy-two  feet  by  sixty-two.  It  is  built  on  a 
lot  of  100  feet  by  250,*  and  cost  16,000  dollars.  Their 
former  house  is  converted  into  a  vestry.  This  latter  spa- 
cious building  is  well  filled  with  worshippers,  and  the 
church  has  increased  to  upwards  of  300.  One  hundred 
and  thirty  were  added  to  them  in  about  eight  months,  in 
the  year  1809. 

This  infant  church  and  congregation  have  often  excited 
the  astonishment  and  gratitude  of  surrounding  older  com- 
munities, by  their  spirited  exertions  and  surprising  acts  of 

•  This  lot  extends  to  the  tide  water,  which  furnishes  a  delightful  place  for 
baptizing,  immediately  back  of  the  meeting  house.  The  lot  is  250  feet  to 
high  water  mark,  probably  500  or  600  to  law  water. 


Marblehcady  Beverly  and  Dangers  Churches.        421 

'munificence  in  promoting  the  cause  of  Zion.  They,  from 
their  beginning,  began  to  display  a  Uberality  worthy  of 
imitation,  and  in  one  year,  very  lately,  they  contributed  for 
charitable  and  missionary  purposes  about  twelve  hundred 
dollars. 

Mr.  Bolles  was  born  in  Ashford,  Connecticut,  in  1779. 
He  was  educated  at  Brown  University,  and  was,  for  about 
three  years  previous  to  his  settlement  here,  a  pupil  and  as- 
sistant to  Dr.  Stillman. 

Most  of  the  members  of  the  Marblehead  church  were 
dismissed  from  Salem.  This  body  is  only  four  miles  dis- 
tant ;  its  pastor,  Mr.  Ferdinand  Ellis,  is  a  graduate  of 
Brown  University  ;  was  formerly  a  tutor  in  that  institu- 
tion, and  a  minister  of  the  Pedobaptist  persuasion. 

Beverly. — This  town  is  connected  to  Salem  by  a 
bridge  fifteen  hundred  feet  in  length.  The  church  in  it 
is  of  recent  origin,  and  was  formed  in  1801,  of  nineteen 
members.  Joshua  Young  was  its  pastor  about  two  years. 
After  him  was  Elisha  Williams,  under  whose  ministry 
they  have  enjoyed  two  very  considerable  revivals.  In  the 
first  about  sixty  were  added  to  their  number  ;  in  the  sec- 
ond between  forty  and  fifty.  Upwards  of  a  hundred  and 
sixty  were  added  to  the  church  while  under  his  care. 
But  notwithstanding  these  successes  of  this  worthy  pastor^ 
some  members  raised  a  difficulty  against  him,  and  he  has 
been  dismissed  from  office,  but  still  resides  in  the  to  an, 

Mr.  Williams  is  a  son  of  the  late  Dr.  Williams,  a 
'Pedobaptist  minister  ot  East- Hartford,  Connecticut  ;  he 
was  educated  at  Yale  College,  New-Haven,  began  to 
preach  at  Livermore,  in  the  District  of  Maine,  was  for 
some  years  pastor  of  the  church  in  Brunswick,  in  that 
District ;  and  removed  from  that  place  to  Beverly,  in  1803. 

Dan  VERS. — This  town  also  joins  to  Salem.  The 
fcchurch  here  was  formed  in  1793  ;  Morgan  Edwards 
n.would  call  it  a  grand-daughter  of  Haverhill,  as  it  came  out 
of  the  church  at  Rowley,  which  was  a  branch  of  that 
body,  Danvers  is  distinguished  for  giving  birth  to  James 
Foster,  D.  D.  who  died  pastor  of  the  first  church  in  New- 
York.  Mr.  Jeremiah  Chaplin,  who  now  officiates  here,  is 
a  native  of  the  place,  and  was  for  a  short  time  pastor  of  the 

•  same  church  in  New- York, 
or  • 


422       Neix)buryport  Church ....  Boston  Association' 

New  BURY  PORT. — In  1805,  a  church  was  formed  in 
this  town,  (which  lies  upwards  of  thirty  miles  northeast  of 
Boston)  of  only  nineteen  members.  Mr.  Joshua  Chase, 
one  of  their  number,  was  called  to  the  ministry,  and 
preached  among  them  a  short  time,  when  he  removed  to 
the  District  of  Maine.  Not  long  after  his  removal,  the 
church  obtained  for  its  pastor,  Mr.  John  Peak,  who  had 
preached  in  divers  places  in  New-England,  but  who  re- 
moved hither  from  Barnstable  on  Cape  Cod.  Soon  after 
his  settlement,  this  little  body,  mostly  by  the  assistance  of 
others,  erected  a  large  brick  building,  70  feet  by  60,  which 
cost  upwards  of  sixteen  thousand  dollars.  Thus  they 
were  put  in  possession  of  a  costly  commodious  building, 
which,  however,  they  occupied  under  some  peculiar  em- 
barrassments. The  pewholders  were  to  govern  the 
house  and  elect  their  teacher ;  and  at  a  certain  time,  the 
Baptists  came  within  one  vote  of  being  turned  out  of  it, 
and  having  it  applied  to  another  denomination.  But  all 
their  prospects  and  embarrassments,  all  the  benevolent  de- 
signs of  their  friends  abroad,  and  of  spectators  at  home, 
were  suddenly  closed  by  a  destructive  fire  in  1811,  in 
which  this  stately  edifice  was  consumed.  As  it  was  de- 
tached from  other  buildings,  it  was,  at  the  commencement 
of  tlie  fire,  made  a  place  of  deposit  for  furniture,  goods, 
&c.  But  the  "flames  spread  so  rapidly,  and  soon  became  so 
vehement,  that  it  was  enveloped  by  them,  and  every  com- 
bustible part  of  it  was  reduced  to  ashes.  After  this,  Mr. 
Peak  travelled  as  far  as  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  and  in 
various  places  collected  sufficient  sums  to  erect  for  them  a 
neat,  commodious,  brick  house,  which,  if  not  so  splendid 
as  their  former  one,  is  held  by  a  more  substantial  and  con- 
sistent tenure,  and  occupied  without  the  fear  of  molesta- 
tion. 

BOSTON    ASSOCIATION. 

This  Association  \vas  formed  in  1812  by  a  division  of 
the  Warren.  That  body  had  become  so  numerous  and  ex- 
tensive, that  but  few  churches  could  conveniently  provide 
for  the  large  assemblies  which  convened  on  its  interesting 
anniversaries.  A  division  was  therefore  thought  necessa- 
ry, and  was  amicably  agreed  upon  in  1811.  The  line  was 
to  run  from  Boston  westward  as  far  as  the  Association  ex- 


First  Church  in  Swansea*  423 

tended ;  those  churches,  which  were  near  this  line  on 
either  side,  were  considered  at  their  option  to  fall  in  with 
either  the  new  or  old  Association,  as  best  suited  their  con- 
venience. The  general  table  will  exhibit  a  view  of  the 
churches  in  each  body. 

As  this  Association  has  been  formed  so  lately,  its  move- 
ments do  not  furnish  articles  for  an  historical  narrative ; 
but  it  ought  to  be  observed,  that  a  considerable  number  of 
its  churches  and  ministers  have  long  been  among  the 
main  pillars  and  active  promoters  of  the  respectable  body 
from  which  it  proceeded. 

We  shall  now  turn  our  attention  to  the  southern  part  of 
this  First  Division,  in  which  it  will  be  perceived  most  of 
the  churches  south  of  Boston  are  included. 

First  Church  in  Sivafisea. — This  is  the  oldest  church  in 
Massachusetts,  and  was  the  fourth  which  was  formed  in 
America.  It  is  dated  in  1663  ;  but  it  was  begun  about  13 
years  before  by  Obadiah  Holmes  and  others.  The  account 
of  Mr  Holmes'  persecution  at  Boston  has  already  been 
related ;  some  further  information  of  his  character  will 
be  given,  when  we  come  to  Newport,  in  Rhode-Island. 
He  was  for  some  years  after  he  came  to  this  country 
in  the  Pedobaptist  connexion,  first  at  Salem,  and  then 
at  Rehoboth,  where  one  Samuel  Newman  was  pastor. 
This  Newman  undertook  a  domineering  course  of  dis- 
cipline, different  from  what  had  been  taught  in  the  old 
Puritan  school,  and  Holmes  and  some  others  withdrew 
from  his  church,  and  setup  a  meeting  by  themselves,  about 
1649.  Soon  after  this  they  fell  in  with  Baptist  principles, 
and  were  baptized,  it  is  supposed,  by  Mr.  Clark  of  Neu- 
port,  as  they  joined  his  church.  Mr.  Holmes  became  the 
leader  of  this  little  company,  against  v.  horn  Mr.  Newman 
pronounced  the  sentence  of  excommunication,  and  stirred 
up  the  civil  power  to  take  them  in  hand.  They  were  in 
the  Plymouth  colony,  and  before  the  court  in  that  town 
Mr.  Holmes  and  two  of  his  associates  were  cited  to  appear, 
where  they  found  four  petitions  had  been  lodged  against 
them.  One  from  Rehoboth  signed  by  thirty-five  persons  ; 
one  from  the  church  at  Taunton,  the  adjoining  town  east- 
ward ;  one  from  all  the  clergymen  but  two  in  the  Ply- 
mouth color.y  ;  and  a  fourth  from  the  meddling  court  at 
Boston,  under  their  Secretary's  hand,  urging  the  Plymouth 


424  First  Church  in  Swatisea, 

rulers  speedily  to  suppress  this  growing  schism.  But  the 
rulers  of  this  colony  appear  to  have  been  more  mild  and 
tolerant  than  those  of  Massachusetts,  and  probably  did  no 
more  than  they  found  absolutely  necessary  to  keep  the 
teasing  clergy  in  humour.  With  all  these  stimulations  to 
severity,  they  only  charged  them  to  desist  from  their  prac- 
tice, which  was  offensive  to  others,  and  Obadiah  Holmes 
and  Joseph  Tory  were  bound  the  one  for  the  other,  in  the 
sum  often  pounds,  for  their  appearance  at  court.  No  im- 
prisonment  was  inflicted,  and  no  other  bonds  or  sureties 
were  required.  One  of  the  company  it  seems  promised  to 
comply  with  their  requisition,  and  was  dismissed.  This 
was  in  June,  1650.  At  the  next  October  court,  the  Grand 
Jury  found  a  bill  against  them,  and  by  their  presentment 
we  learn  that  the  company  consisted  of  John  Hazel,  Ed- 
ward Smith  and  wife,  Obadiah  Holmes,  Joseph  Tory  and 
wife,  the  vvife  of  James  Mann,  and  William  Buell  and 
wife.  They  were  charged  with  the  crime  of  continuing  a 
meeting  from  house  to  house  on  the  Lord's  day,  contrary 
to  the  order  of  court,  &c.  but  no  sentence  appears  on  re- 
cord against  them.  Not  long  after  this  Mr.  Holmes  re- 
moved to  Newport,  and  became  pastor  of  the  old  church 
there,  and  a  part  of  his  company  removed  with  him.  But 
before  his  removal,  that  scene  of  suffering  at  Boston,  which 
has  already  been  related,  was  experienced. 

In  1665,  John  Miles  came  over  from  Whales  and  began 
the  church,  which  has  continued  to  the  present  time.  He 
had  founded  a  Baptist  church  in  Swansea,  in  his  native 
country,  in  1649,  and  was  one  of  about  two  thousand 
ministers  who  were  ejected  from  their  places  by  the  cruel 
Act  of  Uniformity  in  1662.  He  brought  to  this  country 
the  records  of  the  Swansea  church  in  Wales,  which,  be- 
ing in  the  Welsh  language,  can  be  of  no  use  to  the  pres- 
ent generation  ;  but  large  extracts  were  made  from  them 
by  Mr.  Backus,  and  sent  over  to  Mr.  Tom  mas  of  Leom- 
inster, England,  the  historian  of  the  Welsh  Baptists. 

Some  of  Mr.  Miles'  company  in  Wales  came  over  with 
him,  and  at  the  house  of  John  Butterworth  in  Rehoboth, 
they,  to  the  number  of  seven,  united  in  a  solemn  covenant 
together.  Their  names  were  John  Miles,  elder,  James 
Brown,  Nicholas  Tanner,  Joseph  Carpenter,  John  But-^ 
terworth,  Eldad  .Kingsley,  and  Benjamin  Alby. 


First  Church  in  Swansea,  425 

This  measure  became  offensive  to  the  orthodox  churches 
of  the  colony  ;  the  court  was  solicited  to  interpose  its  in- 
fluence ;  and  the  members  of  this  little  church  were  fined 
five  pounds  each,  for  setting  up  a  publick  meeting  without 
the  knowledge  and  approbation  of  the  court,  to  the  disturb- 
ance of  the  peace  of  the  place  ;  ordered  to  desist  from  their 
meeting  for  the  space  of  a  month,  and  advised  to  remove 
their  meeting  to  some  other  place,  where  they  might  not 
prejudice  any  other  church,  &c.  Rehoboth,  at  this  time, 
included  nearly  all  the  present  county  of  Bristol.  In  what 
part  of  this  large  township  this  church  was  formed,  I  do 
not  find  ;  but  not  long  after,  its  seat  was  removed  to  near 
Kelly's  bridge,  at  the  upper  end  of  Warren,  on  a  neck  of 
land,  which  is  now  in  the  township  of  Barringto.i,  whefe 
their  first  meeting-house  was  built.  Afterwards  its  seat 
was  removed  to  the  place  where  its  present  meeting-house 
stands,  which  is  only  three  miles  from  Warren,  aiid  about 
ten  from  Providence.  In  1667,  the  Plymouth  court,  in- 
stead of  passing  the  sentence  of  banishment  against  this  lit- 
tle company  of  Baptists,  as  the  men  of  Boston  had  done 
against  Thomas  Gould  and  his  associates,  made  them  an 
ample  grant  of  Wannamoiset,  which  they  called  Swansea. 
It  then  included  the  extensive  territory,  which  has  since 
been  divided  into  the  towns  of  Swansea,  Warren,  and  Bar- 
rington.  Barrington  and  Warren,  now  in  Rhode-Island, 
were  then  claimed  by  the  Plymouth  colony,  and  afterwards 
by  the  Massachusetts  government  until  1741.  What  is 
now  the  town  of  Swansea  became  the  residence  of  the  Bap- 
tists ;  a  second  church  arose  in  it  in  1693,  and  no  church 
of  the  Pedobaptists  has  ever  been  established  here  to  per- 
plex and  fleece  them.  Some  of  their  members,  who  resid- 
ed in  other  towns  around,  were  at  times  harassed  with 
ministerial  taxes  ;  but  their  sufferings  of  this  kind  were 
trifling,  compared  with  what  their  brethren  in  other  places 
endured.  '  Besides  the  constituent  members  of  this  church, 
there  were  families  by  the  name  of  Luther,  Cole,  Bowen, 
Wheaton,  Martin,  Barnes,  Thurber,  Bos  worth.  Mason, 
Child,  &c.  among  the  early  planters  of  Swansea,  whose 
posterity  are  still  numerous  in  the  surrounding  country. 

Mr.  Miles  continued  pastor  of  this  church  until  his 
death,  which  happened  in  1683.  What  few  sketches  have 
been  preserved  of  his  life  go  to  show  that  he  bore  an  ex- 

voL.  I.  54 


i^5  First  Church  in  Swansea. 

cellent  character,  and  was  eminently  useful  in  his  clay.  He 
lived  near  a  bridge,  which  still  bears  his  name,  but  a  small 
distance  from  the  present  meeting-house.  He  laboured 
frequently  with  his  brethren  in  Boston,  in  the  time  of  their 
sufferings,  and  at  one  time  there  was  a  proposition  for  his 
becoming  their  pastor,  which  was  not,  however,  carried 
into  effect.  We  are  told  that  being  once  brought  before 
the  magistrates  for  preaching,  he  requested  a  Bible,  and 
opened  to  these  words  in  Job,  But  ye  should  say,  IVhy  per- 
secute ive  him  ?  seeing  the  root  of  the  matter  is  found  in  me  ; 
which,  having  read,  he  sat  down  ;  and  such  an  effect  had 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  that  he  was  afterwards  treated  with 
moderation,  if  not  with  kindness.  All  I  can  learn  of  his 
posterity  is,  that  a  son  went  back  to  England,  and  a  grand- 
son of  his  was  an  Episcopal  minister  in  Boston,  (Mass.) 
in  1724. 

Next  to  Mr.  Miles  was  Samuel  Luther,  who  was  or- 
dained here  in  1685,  by  the  assistance  of  Elders  Hull  and 
Emblen  of  Boston.  He  was  much  esteemed,  both  at  home 
and  abroad,  until  his  death  in  1717.  His  posterity  are  nu- 
merous in  these  parts,  and  many  of  them  are  of  this  and 
the  neighbouring  churches. 

After  him  was  Ephraim  Wheaton,  who  had  been  his 
colleague  thirteen  years.  He  lived  in  the  bounds  of  Re- 
hoboth,  and  faithfully  discharged  the  pastoral  duties  of 
this  church  until  he  died  in  1734,  aged  75.  His  posterity 
are  numerous  in  these  parts,  in  Providence  and  other  places. 
His  ministry  in  Swansea  was  attended  with  good  success  ; 
in  five  years  from  1718,  he  baptized  and  received  into  his 
church  fifty  members.  That  was,  in  those  days,  a  remarka- 
ble circumstance,  of  which  he  wrote  an  account  to  Mr.  Hol- 
lis  of  London,  who  sent  him  a  letter  of  gratulation  on  his 
ministerial  success,  with  a  present  of  books. 

Samuel  Maxwell  was  ordained  a  colleague  pastor  with 
Mr.  Wheaton  in  1735  ;  but  five  years  after  he  became  a 
Sabbatarian,  and  was  dismissed  from  his  office.  He  was 
esteemed  a  pious  man,  and  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  but 
does  not  appear  to  have  had  much  success  in  the  ministr3\ 

After  him  was  Benjamin  Herrington  from  the  Narragan- 
set  country.  He  had  a  crowded  audience  for  a  kw  years  ; 
but  being  accused  of  the  sin  of  uncleanness,  which  charge 
he  never  cleared  up,  he  went  off  to  Canterbury,  in  Connec 


second  Church  in  Swansea.  427 

^cut,  where  he  preached  to  a  few  people,  and  lived  \w  ob- 
scurity to  old  age. 

In  1751,  Jabez  Wood  of  Middleborough  became  the 
pastor  of  this  church,  in  which  office  he  continued  without 
much  success  about  thirty  years,  when  he  was  dismissed 
and  removed  to  Vermont,  where  he  died  in  1794.  He 
was  a  grandson  of  Thomas  Nelson,  who  then  belonged  to 
this  church,  whose  history  will  be  related  when  we  come 
to  Middleborough. 

Next  to  Mr.  Wood  was  Charles  Thompson,  one  of  the 
first  graduates  of  the  Institution,  which  has  since  taken  the 
name  of  Brown  University.  As  the  necessary  materials 
for  the  history  of  this  valuable  man  are  not  now  at  hand, 
we  shall  defer  his  biography  till  we  come  to  Warren, 
Rhode-Island,  where  he  began  his  pastoral  labours. 

After  he  removed  from  Swansea,  the  church  was,  for 
some  years,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Samuel  Northup,  a  na- 
tive of  North- Kingston,  Rhode-Island,  who  died  lately  in 
the  care  of  a  church  in  Rehoboth. 

The  present  pastor  of  this  body  is  the  aged  and  respecta- 
ble Mr.  Abner  Lewis,  who  has  preached  in  different  places, 
but  removed  hither  from  Haru  ich  in  Cape  Cod. 

Second  Church  in  Swansea. — This  church  was  begun 
by  some  members  from  Providence  and  other  places,  who 
settled  to  the  eastward  of  the  old  church,  and  set  up  a 
meeting  by  themselves,  which  their  gifted  brethren  carried 
on  until  the  church  was  formed,  and  Thomas  Barnes,  one 
of  their  number,  was  ordained  their  pastor  in  1693.  This 
office  he  filled  with  respect  till  his  death,  which  happened 
in  1706.  One  of  the  leaders  of  this  church  '«vas  Samuel 
Mason,  who  was  a  soldier  in  Cromwell's  army,  but  came 
over  to  America  on  the  Restoration  of  Charles  II.  He 
settled  in  Rehoboth,  where,  and  in  the  adjoining  towns, 
and  also  in  remoter  places,  his  posterity  is  very  numerous. 
His  sons  Vvcre  Noah,  Samson,  James,  John,  Samuel, 
Joseph,  Isaac,  Peletiah,  and  Benjamin.  James  and  John 
Vicnt  to  Boston,  but  the  remaining  six  lived  in  Rehoboth 
and  Swansea,  until  the  youngest  of  them  was  seventy  years 
of  age.  Isaac  was  ordained  a  Deacon  in  the  church  at  the 
same  time  that  Mr.  Barnes  became  its  pastor,  and  continu- « 
ed  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  that  office  until  his  death  in 
1742. 


428  Second  Ckiirch  in  Swansea. 

Joseph,  another  of  the  brothers,  was  ordained  a  pastor 
of  this  body  in  1709,  and  six  years  after  John  Pierce  was 
ordained  his  colleague.  These  two  eiders  ministered  to 
this  church,  as  long  as  they  were  capable  of  ministerial  ser- 
vice, and  both  of  them  lived  to  about  the  age  of  ninety. 
Mr.  Pierce  was  the  grand-father  of  Mr.  Joseph  Cornell, 
late  pastor  of  the  second  church  in  Providence.  He  be- 
gan preaching  among  a  few  Baptists  in  Scituate,  where 
President  Dunster  spent  his  last  days  ;  but  being  per- 
secuted for  worshipping  God  in  his  own  house,  he  with 
others  of  the  company  removed  to  Swansea  about 
1711. 

Next  to  these  venerable  elders  were  in  succession  three 
by  the  name  of  Mason,  grand- children  on  the  father's  side 
of  the  famous  Samson  Mason,  and  on  the  mother's,  of 
John  Russell  once  pastor  of  the  old  church  in  Boston.  Job 
was  ordained  in  1738,  Russell  in  1752,  and  John  in  1788. 
The  last  of  them  died  but  a  short  time  since.  They  were 
all  highly  esteemed  for  their  piety  and  usefulness.  Next 
to  them  was  Elder  Benjamin  Mason  ;  but  whether  he  was 
a  brother  of  his  predecessors  I  have  not  learnt.  The 
church  is  now  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Philip  Slade  ;  it 
abounds  with  members  ;  but  in  point  of  doctrine  and  dis- 
cipline, it  has  probably  seen  better  days.  From  this  church 
have  proceeded  a  considerable  number  of  ministers,  who 
have  removed  to  other  parts,  amoog  whom  are  Nathan 
Mason,  who  went  to  Nova-Scotia,  as  is  related  in  the 
history  of  that  Province  ;  Joseph  Cornell,  whose  name 
has  just  been  mentioned  ;  Nathaniel  Cole,  now  of  Plain- 
field,  Connecticut  ;  and  a  number  of  others,  whose  names 
and  stations  cannot  be  accurately  ascertained. 

This  church  was  founded  on  what  some  of  the  Rhode- 
Island  brethren  call  the  Six  Principle  plan,  as  stated  in 
Hebrews  vi.  ],  2,  and  made  the  laying-on-of-hands  on 
every  baptized  member  a  term  of  communion  ;  they  also 
opposed  the  practice  of  singing  in  public  worship,  w  hich 
was  not  introduced  until  after  the  year  1780,  almost  a  hun- 
dred years  from  their  beginning.  The  laying-on-of-hands 
they  still  strenuously  hold,  and  belong  to  the  Rhode- Island 
Yearly  Meeting.  They  have  a  commodious  place  of  wor- 
ship a  few  miles  from  the  old  church. 


Rchoboth  and  Middlcboroiigh  Chutches*  429 

Rehoboth. — This  township,  before  its  late  division,^ 
was  not  far  from  t^\elve  miles  square.  For  a  number 
of  miles  on  its  western  side,  it  joins  the  State  of  Rhode- 
Island,  and  is  separated  from  Providence  only  by  the 
Pawtuckct  River. 

It  is  probable  there  have  been  Baptists  in  this  tov^n 
from  about  1650,  when  Obadiah  Holmes  separated  from 
the  parish  worship,  but  no  church  was  gathered  in  it  un- 
til 1732,  when  one  arose  near  its  southeast  corner  under 
the  ministry  of  Mr.  John  Comer,  of  whom  more  will  be 
said  when  we  come  to  Newport.  By  the  year  1794,  no 
less  than  seven  Baptist  churches  had  been  formed  in  Re- 
hoboth, most  of  them  were  sn^all,  and  hardly  any  two  of 
them  Mere  united  in  their  views  of  doctrine  and  discipline. 
Elhanan  Winchester,  who  afterwards  distinguished  him- 
self by  the  propagation  of  the  doctrine  of  Universal  Res- 
toration, w  as,  for  a  few  years,  pastor  of  one  of  them.  The 
youngest  of  these  churches  is  that  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
great  Seekhonk  plain,  widiin  about  three  miles  of  Provi- 
dence, which  is  supplied  by  Mr.  John  Pitman  of  that  town. 

Rehoboth  has  been  a  fruitful  nursery  of  Baptists  for 
many  years,  and  from  it  multitudes  have  emigrated  to  al- 
most every  part  of  New- En  gland. 

MiDDLEBOROUGH. — The  first  church  in  this  town  was 
formed  in  1756  ;  some  account  of  its  origin  and  progress 
may  be  found  in  the  biography  of  Mr.  Backus,  who  was, 
for  about  fifty  years,  its  worthy  pastor.  After  his  death 
Mr.  Ezra  Kendall  had  the  care  of  it  a  few  years,  and  next 
to  him  was  Mr.  Samuel  Abbot,  a  native  of  New-Hamp- 
shire, who  is  its  present  pastor. 

Second  Church  in  Middleborough. — This  churcli  arose 
in  the  follo\A'ing  manner  :  Thomas  Nelson,  formerly  a 
member  of  the  first  church  in  Swansea,  removed  in  1717 
to  the  south  part  of  Middleborough,  to  a  place  called  As- 
sawamset,  his  being  the  first  English  family  which  setded 
there.  He  set  up  a  meeting  at  his  house,  and  procured 
preachers  to  visit  him  as  often  as  he  could.     One  of  whom 

^  A  short  time  since,  this  township  was  divided  into  two,  and  the  new  one 
was  called  Seekhonk,  after  the  name  of  a  very  large  singular  plain,  which  is 
within  three  or  four  miles  of  Providence,  and  on  which,  it  appears  by  ancient 
records,  Obadiah  Holmes  and  his  little  company  of  Baptists,  set  up  their 
meeting  in  1649.  This  was  but  about  four  miles  from  the  village  of  Pawtuck- 
ct, a  part  of  which  was  formerly  in  Rehoboth,  but  is  now  in  Seekhonk, 


430  Sufferings  of  the  Church  at  Kingston. 

was  the  late  Ebenezer  Hinds,  who  began  to  preach  there 
statedly  in  1753.  By  these  means  a  little  company  of 
baptized  believers  was  collected.  The  remains  of  a  Pedo- 
baptist  church  of  the  Separate  order,  at  a  place  called  the 
Beech  Woods,  embraced  the  Baptist  principles  after  the 
death  of  their  pastor,  Mr.  James  Mead,  and  in  1757,  the 
church  under  consideration  was  formed,  and  Mr.  Hinds 
soon  after  became  its  pastor.  Thomas  Nelson,  who  must 
be  considered  the  father  of  this  church,  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty,  a  short  time  before  it  was  founded.  His  widow 
lived  to  the  age  of  a  hundred  and  five  years  and  seven 
months,  and  died  in  1780.  She  had  living  of  her  posteri- 
ty at  her  death,  as  near  as  could  be  ascertained,  three  hun- 
dred, thirty  and  seven.  Of  her  grandsons,  William,  Sam- 
uel, and  Ebenezer  Nelson,  became  Baptist  ministers. 
Two  of  them  are  yet  living  ;  one  in  this  town,  and  the  oth- 
er at  Reading  near  Boston.  Among  her  great-grand-chil- 
dren are  Stephen  S.  Nelson,  of  Mount  Pleasant,  New- 
York,  and  Dr.  Thomas  Nelson,  of  Bristol,  Rhode-Island. 

Mr.  Hinds  continued  in  office  here  not  far  from  forty 
years,  when  he  reruoved  from  them,  and  died,  a  short  time 
since,  on  Cape  Cod,  at  the  age  of  about  ninety.  He  re- 
tained his  mental  and  bodily  powers  to  a  very  singular  de- 
gree. But  two  or  three  years  previous  to  his  death,  he 
could  mount  his  horse  with  the  greatest  ease,  and  ride  off 
journies  of  a  number  of  weeks,  to  preach  among  his  old 
acquaintances,  or  rather  in  places  where  his  old  acquaint- 
ances had  h'ved.  Beside  these  churches  two  others  have 
been  formed  in  this  town,  which  is  very  large  in  its  boun- 
daries, and  from  it  great  numbers  of  Baptists  have  emi- 
grated to  the  District  of  Maine  and  other  places.  The 
four  churches  in  it  are  all  of  respectable  standing,  and  con- 
tain together  upwards  of  four  hundred  members.  Mid- 
dleborough  is  in  Plymouth  county,  and  but  a  ^^t^w  miles 
from  the  place  where  the  fathers  of  the  Plymouth  Colony 
landed  in  1620.  Around  it  a  number  of  churches  have 
been  established,  most  of  whom  have,  at  different  times, 
been  distressed  for  religious  or  rather  irreligious  taxes  for 
the  support  of  the  established   clergy. 

Kingston  Church,  only  4  miles  from  Plymouth,  has  suffer- 
ed most  severely  by  these  vexatious  things,  while  their  sister 
communities  all  around  have  enjoyed  an  exemption  from 


Hardimch  and  BarnstaUe  Churches.  431 

their  tormenting  and  ruinous  effects.  This  church  was 
formed  in  1805,  under  the  ministry  of  Ezra  Kendall,  who 
was  then  pastor  of  the  old  church  in  Middleborough.  For 
about  six  years  its  members,  togelher  with  those  of  the 
congregation,  were  annually  harassed  for  the  support  of 
the  parish  preacher.  A  considerable  number  of  them  have 
had  their  property  attached  and  sold  at  auction,  to  satisfy 
the  outrageous  and  unrighteous  demands  of  the  Congrega- 
tional party.  As  late  as  1810,  one  of  their  number  was 
dragged  from  his  house,  bound  fast,  carried  and  lodged 
in  Plymouth  gaol,  because  he  refused  to  pay  his  money  for 
the  support  of  a  minister,  which  he  did  not  wish  to  hear. 
The  most  grievous  and  wanton  havock  was  made  of  the 
property  of  the  Kingston  Baptists  down  to  the  year  1811, 
and  from  that  period  they  have  been  spared,  not  for  the  want 
of  a  disposition  in  the  Pedobaptist  oppressors,  but  in  con- 
sequence of  a  late  law  of  the  Massachusetts  Legislature, 
which  will  be  noticed  at  the  close  of  this  chapter.  Such 
coercions  have  been  practised  in  the  nineteenth  century  in 
a  State  whose  Constitution  declares,  that  ^Cf  No  subject 
shall  be  hurt,  molested,  or  restrained,  in  his  person,  liberty, 
or  estate,  for  ^worshipping  GOD,  in  the  manner  and  season 
most  agreeable  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience,  ^c. 
Samuel  Glover  is  the  present  pastor  of  this  body.  He  was 
sent  into  the  ministry  by  the  first  church  in  Boston,  and 
was  educated  at  Brown  University. 

In  Harwich  and  Barnstable,  on  Cape  Cod,  are  two  large 
respectable  churches  of  considerable  age,  both  of  which 
have,  in  former  times,  been  distressed  in  consequence  of 
imposts  for  religious  purposes.  Both  of  these  churches 
arose  out  of  Pedobaptist  ones  of  the  Separate  order.  The 
one  at  Harwich  was  formed  in  1757  ;  that  at  Barnstable  in 
1771  ;  they  have  had  different  preachers  to  labour  among- 
them,  some  of  whom  are  dead,  and  others  are  now  settled 
in  other  places.  The  Harwich  church  is  under  the  care 
of  Mr.  James  Barnaby,  a  graduate  of  Brown  University  ; 
the  one  at  Barnstable  has  for  its  pastor  Barnabas  Bates,  a 
native  of  England,  who  was  educated  a  Roman  Catholick  ; 
came  to  this  country  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  was 
sent  into  the  ministry  by  the  first  church  in  Boston. 

There  are  yet  remaining  in  the  region  under  considera- 
tion a  considerable  number  of  churches,  of  which  our  lim- 


432  Second  Dhision....Snirbndge  Association, 

its  will  not  permit  us  to  give  any  particular  account. 
Most  of  them  belong  to  the  Warren  Association,  where 
their  names,  numbers,  and  pastors  will  be  exhibited. 


Second  Division. 

This  division  comprehends  a  considerable  part  of  this 
State,  and  extends  from  a  line  drawn  north  and  south,  be- 
tween twenty  and  thirty  miles  west  of  Boston  to  its  western 
side.  It  is  bounded  south  by  Rhode- Island  and  Connec- 
ticut, west  by  New- York,  and  north  by  Vermont  and 
New-Hampshire.  In  it  are  about  sixty  churches,  which 
belong  to  the  Boston,  Warren,  Siurbridge,  Leyden, 
Westfield,  Danbury  and  Shaftsbury  Associations.  Of 
diese  seven  Associations,  three  only,  viz.  Siurbridge,  Ley- 
den,  ai.'d  Westfield,  are  considered  as  having  their  seat  ill 
the  region  now  under  consideration  ;  and  of  these  we  shall, 
in  the  first  place,  give  some  brief  account. 

SIURBRIDGE    ASSOCIATION. 

This  body  was  formed  at  the  place  from  which  it  took 
its  name  in  1802,  of  churches  which  had  belonged  to  the 
Warren  Association.  Nothing  remarkable  has  occurred 
in  its  progress.  Of  a  feu-  of  its  most  ancient  churches  wc 
shall  relate  a  few  particulars. 

St  u  R  B  R I D  G  E . — This  church  arose  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  In  1747,  a  Separate  church  was  formed  in  this  town, 
and  Mr.  John  Blunt  was  ordained  its  pastor.  In  about 
two  years  after,  Baptist  principles  began  to  prevail  amongst 
them,  and  Elder  Moulton  of  Brimfield  baptized  13  of 
their  number,  among  \Ahom  was  Daniel  Fisk,  one  of 
their  deacons.  John  Newell  was  their  other  deacon,  and 
Henry  Fisk  and  David  Morse  were  their  ruling  elders. 
It  was  not  long  before  these  officers,  with  Mr.  Blunt  their 
pastor,  and  others  to  the  number  of  upwards  of  sixty,  were 
baptized,  and  in  1749  they  began  to  travel  in  a  Baptist 
church.  For  three  years  from  that  period,  they  were  op- 
pressed for  parish  taxes  in  a  most  grievous  manner  ;  five 
of  them  were  imprisoned  in  Worcester  gaol,  and  property 
of  different  kinds  was  taken  from  them  to  a  large  amount.* 

*  Mr.  Moulton,  for  preaching  here,  was  seized  by  the  constable,  drag'prccl 
out  of  the  town  and  thrust  into  prison,  as  a  stroller  and  vagabond.  In  1750 
md  1751,  the  assessors  took  from  Abraham  Blojxe  a  spinning-wheel  ;  from 


Sutton   and  Stiirbvulge  Churches,  433 

Some  of  the  principal  brethren  in  Boston  endeavoured  in 
vain  to  allay  the  vengeance  of  their  oppressor  s  ;  but  the 
crime  of  dissenting  was  not  to  be  forgiven,  and  the  havock 
which  followed,  may  be  seen  in  the  note  below.  The 
storm  of  persecution  was  furious,  but  not  of  longj  con- 
tinuance. The  Baptists  soon  arose  to  respect,  and  w'ere 
let  alone  by  the  established  party  ;  aiid  deacon  Fisk,  who 
was  so  cruelly  treated  at  fu  st,  became  afterwards  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  town,  and  died  a  member  of  the  House  of 
Assembly,  in  1778.  This  cliurch  has  had  a  number  of 
teachers,  iDUt  for  some  time  past  it  has  been  under  the 
care  of  Zenas  L.  Leonard,  w  ho  was  educated  at  Brown 
University,  and  who  has,  for  a  number  of  years,  been  a 
member  of  the  State  Legislature. 

Before  the  church  at  Sturbridge  was  formed,  there  had 
arisen  three  of  our  denomination  in  Sutton,  Brimfield,  and 
Leicester.  The  Sutton  church  was  formed  in  1735  ;  the 
first  promoters  of  it  removed  hither  from  Danvers,  near 
Salem,  in  which  town  it  was  then  included.  One  Peter 
Clarke,  being  minister  of  that  place,  preached  so  much 
upon  infant  baptism,  that  a  number  of  his  people  adopted 
the  opposite  opinion,  and  because  they  did  not  relish  the 
continual  brow-beating  of  their  minister,  removed  from 
the  sound  of  his  declamations,  and  began  a  settlement  in 
this  place.  But  no  sooner  uere  they  settled  here,  than 
the  Sutton  m.inister  began  in  Mr.  Clarke's  strain,  and  by 
this  means  a  nu~.nber  of  his  people  became  convinced  of 
Baptist  sentiments  ;  then  the  emigrants  from  Danvers 
and  the  converts  in  Sutton   united  in  foriuing  the  church 

deacon  Fisk,  five  pewter  plates  and  a  cow  ;  from  John  Pike,  a  cow  ;  fi-om 
Jonathan  Perry,  a  saddle  and  steer  ;  from  Mr.  Blunt,  the  pastor,  a  trammel, 
andirons,  shovel,  tongs,  &c.  and  a  heifer  ;  from  John  Streeter,  a  kettle,  pot- 
hooks, &c.  from  Benj  amln  Robbins,  a  warming-pan,  quart  pot,  broad-axe, 
saw,  and  other  tools  ;  from  Henry  Fisk,  ruling-  elder,  five  pewter  plates  and 
a  cow  ;  from  John  Perry,  a  cow  ;  from  David  Morse,  ruling  elder,  a,  cow, 
in  1750,  for  a  tax  of  ;^.  1  \s.  4d,  and  in  1751,  a  yoke  of  oxen  valued  at  not  less 
than  thirty-six  dollars,  for  a  tax  of  less  than  five  dollars  ;  from  Phineas  CoU 
ler,  a  kettle,  two  pewter  plates,  a  tankard,  and  a  young  cow  ;  from  John 
Newel,  deacon,  allhis  pewter  plates,  a  cow,  and  a  flock  of  geese  ;  John  Draper's 
goods  were  distrained,  but  the  kind  is  not  mentioned.  And  besides  this  des- 
poiling of  goods,  deacon  Fisk,  John  Cory,  Jeremiah  Barstow,  Josiah  PeiTy, 
and  John  Draper,  were  imprisoned  in  Worcester  gaol,  twenty  miles  from 
their  homes  This  havock  of  property  was  made  for  the  support  of  Rev.  Caleb 
Rice,  the  minister  of  the  town  ;  and  if  that  greedy  divine  received  all  these 
ipoils  of  his  neighbours,  his  house  must  have  been  well  furnished,  his  nest 
well  feathered,  and  his  flocks  and  herds  considerably  increased.— —_E:/r;rtn'/s'' 
MS.  Materials  for  a  History  of  the  church  in  Sturbridge. 

VOL.  I.  55 


434  Leicester  and  Brimfield  Churches, 

at  the  time  above  mentioned,  and  two  years  after,  Benja- 
Tiiin  Marsh  and  Thomas  Green  were  ordained  its  pastors. 
This  church  was  long  since  dissolved.  Mr.  Marsh  con- 
tinued its  pastor  about  forty  years,  and  died  in  1775,  at 
the  age  of  ninety.  He  was  a  native  of  Salem,  and  was  es- 
teemed a  godly  and  exemplary  man,  but  his  gifts  were  not 
great.  There  are,  at  present,  three  churches  in  this  town, 
one  belonging  to  the  Warren  Association,  one  to  the 
Groton  Conference,  and  the  other  to  the  Association 
whose  history  we  now  have  in  view.  This  last  church 
was  formed  in  1768,  pardy  out  of  the  remains  of  a  Congre- 
gational, Separate  one,  which  was  gathered  in  1751,  which 
had  been  previously  broken  up  and  scattered.  Its  present 
pastor  is  Samuel  Waters  who  is  a  native  of  the  place. 

In  1788,  the  old  church  in  Sutton  was  divided  by  mu- 
tual agreement,  and  the  one  at  Leicester  was  formed,  of 
which  Thomas  Green  became  pastor.  He  was  a  native 
of  Maiden  near  Boston,  but  was  an  early  settler  in  Leices- 
ter. He  was  not  only  a  useful  minister,  but  a  skilful 
physician  ;  and  being  often  called  abroad  both  to  preach 
and  practise  in  his  medical  profession,  he  disseminated  his 
principles  throughout  a  wide  circle  around,  and  his  church 
became  very  extensive.  After  spending  a  life  of  eminent 
usefulness,  he  finished  his  course  in  1773,  aged  73.  The 
late  John  Green,  M.  D.  of  Worcester,  was  a  son  of  this 
eminent  minister,  whose  son.  Dr.  Thomas  Green,  was 
many  years  pastor  of  the  church  in  North- Yarmouth, 
Maine.  His  successor  was  B  njamin  Foster,  afterwards 
pastor  of  the  first  church  in  New- York.  Next  to  him 
was  Isaac  Beals,  who  is  now  in  Vermont.  Since  his  re- 
moval they  have  had  Nathan  Dana  and  Peter  Rogers,  but 
now  are  destitute  of  a  pastor. 

The  Brimfield  church  was  gathered  in  1736,  and  a  few 
years  after,  Ebenezer  Moulton  was  ordained  its  pastor,  in 
which  office  he  continued  until  1763.  He  then  went  to 
Nova- Scotia,  where  he  continued  about  fifteen  years,  and 
then  came  back  and  died  among  his  old  people  in  1783. 
After  him  this  church  had  two  pastors  from  Middle- 
borough  ;  the  first  was  James  Mellen,  who  died  in  1769  ; 
the  second  was  Elijah  Codding,  who  is  still  with  them. 


fVorcester  Church Ley  dm  Association.          435 

In  the  shire  town  of  Worcester,  the  Baptists  have  never 
made  much  progress  until  within  a  short  time  past.  But 
now  they  have  a  flourishin,^  church  there  which  was  raised 
amidst  much  opposition  in  1812.  It  belongs  to  the  War- 
ren Association,  and  is  under  the  care  of  Mr.  William 
Bt  ntley,  a  native  of  Boston,  who  came  out  from  the  first 
church  in  that  town. 

A  number  of  churches  belonging  to  the  Sturbridge  As- 
sociation are  in  the  north-east  corner  of  Connecticut  ; 
some  account  of  them  will  be  given,  when  we  come  to 
that  State. 

LEYDEN    ASSOCIATION. 

This  body  was  formed  in  Leyden,  in  1763,  of  thirteen 
churches,  which  are  situated  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
Connecticut  River,  in  the  three  States  of  Massachusetts, 
New- Hampshire,  and  Vermont.  Leyden  is  about  thirty- 
miles  above  North- Hampton,  and  upwards  of  a  hundred 
north-west  of  Boston.  The  church  here  was  formed  in 
1780,  and  Joseph  Green,  from  Norwich,  Connecticut,  be- 
came its  pastor.  Most  of  the  settlers  of  the  town  and  the 
constituents  of  this  church  came  from  Rhode-Island  and 
the  adjoining  parts  of  Connecticut.  As  there  was  no 
church  of  the  established  order  in  the  place,  they  were 
not  troubled  with  ministerial  taxes ;  but  a  considerable 
number  of  churches  throughout  this  region,  in  the  coun- 
ties of  Hampshire  and  Berkshire,  were,  for  a  time,  un- 
mercifully harassed  with  those  scourges  to  dissenters. 

The  Ashfield  church  formerly  belonged  to  the  Warren. 
Association,  but  for  some  reason  it  does  not  now  associate 
with  any  connexion.  It  was  formed  in  1761,  and  Eb- 
enezer  Smith  became  its  pastor.  For  a  number  of  vears 
this  church  and  its  adherents  were  persecuted  with  great 
severity  by  the  predominant  party.  In  1770,  about  four 
hundred  acres  of  their  land  were  disposed  of  at  publick 
sale  by  the  furious  parish  tax-gatherers.  For  a  demand 
of  less  than  four  dollars,  M:\  S  nitli  was  dispossessed  of 
ten  acres  of  his  home  lot.  From  his  father  was  taken 
twenty  acres,  containing  his  orchard  and  burying  ground 
which  was  struck  off  to  one  Wells  for  less  than  seven  dol- 
lars. This  coveting  of  fields,  and  taking  them  by  force 
goes  beyond  any  thing  wc  read  of  in  England.  There  is  an 


436  Wlornamie  and  Leiierett  Churches. 


•v> 


account  oi  the  pope  taking  land  in  a  similar  way  from  tht 
Wakienses  in  Frai^ce  ;  but  in  Protestant  countries  no  ex- 
ample of  the  kind  appears.  In  these  distressing  circum- 
stances the  Baptists  petitioned  the  Boston  Assembly  for 
relief;  a  number  of  fair  promises  were  made,  but  no  as- 
sistance was  afforded  them,  until  they,  by  the  assistance  of 
Governor  Hutchinson,  addressed  the  king  and  council,  by 
^A'hom  the  law,  which  sanctioned  their  oppressions,  was 
disannulled,  and  their  lands  were  ordered  to  be  restored. 
The  business  was  not  finally  settled  until  1774,  by  which 
time  the  minister,  who  had  been  the  occasion  of  all  this 
oppression,  became  obnoxious  to  his  own  people,  and 
^vent  off  with  the  avails  of  the  estate  which  had  been  set- 
tled upon  him.* 

The  church  in  Montague  and  Leverett  was  formed  in 
1765.  They  gave  in  certificates  to  the  parish  assessors 
according  to  law ;  but  these  certificates  were  no  better 
than  American  protections  ;  and  they  were,  notwithstand- 
ing, taxed  and  distressed.  In  a  short  time  Samuel  Har- 
vey had  a  cow  and  calf  and  yoke  of  oxen  taken  from  him 
for  the  support  of  the  parish  minister;  and  for  the  same 
purpose  a  cow  was  taken  from  a  Mr.  Sawyer.  Major 
Richard  Montague  was  carried  six  miles  towards  the 
prison,  and  kept  all  night;  in  the  morning  the  officer  re- 
leased him,  and  went  back  and  took  out  of  his  pen  a  large 
valuable  animal  of  that  species  into  which  the  devil  once 
entered,  in  the  country  of  the  Gergesenes.  Major  Mon- 
tague was  a  principal  leader  in  this  church,  and  his  son 
Elijah  has  for  many  years  been  its  pastor. 

In  a  similar  way  have  many  other  churches  in  this  vi- 
cinity been  robbed  of  their  property,  for  the  support  of  a 
set  of  clergy,  who  were  well  contented  to  fatten  on  the 
spoils  of  their  neighbours.  There  is,  however,  one  hon- 
ourable exception  to  this  general  remark.  A  Mr.  Cook 
of  Bernardston  was  settled  with  a  salary  of  £15  a  year  ; 
at  the  time  of  his  setdement  he  gave  a  written  instrument, 
which  was  registered  in  the  toun  book,  binding  himself  to 
deduct  that  part  of  his  salary,  which  fell  to  the  share  of 
the  Baptists,   which  was  annually  about  sixteen  pounds 

♦  Backus,  vol.  i.  p.  248,  261. 


Westfield  Association.,.. We st-Sprmg field.  43? 


WESTFIELD    ASSOCIATION. 

This  is  a  small  body,  which  was  formed  of  only  si?: 
churches  in  18 LI.  \\\  the  town  from  which  it  received  its 
name,  which  is/about  a  hundred  miles  west  of  Boston,  a 
church  was  formed  in  1784.  Adam  Hamilton,  a  native 
of  England,  was  for  a  time  its  pastor,  and  was  highly  esteem- 
ed in  the  Baptist  connexion  wherever  he  preached ;  but' 
on  account  of  his  misconduct  he  sometime  since  was  re- 
jected from  their  fellowship,  and  sunk  into  disrepute. 
The  church  is  now  destitute  of  a  pastor. 

West-Sprixgfield. — As  early  as  1727,  some  per- 
sons were  baptized  in  this  town  by  Mr.  Elisha  Callender, 
then  pastor  of  the  first  church  in  Boston.  Their  names 
were  John  Leonard  Ebenezer  Leonard,  William  Scott, 
Abel  Leonard,  and  Thomas  Lamb.  These  people  set  up 
a  meeting,  and,  as  often  as  they  could,  obtained  Baptist 
ministers  to  come  among  them ;  and  in  1 740,  they,  with 
others  who  had  joined  them,  were  formed  into  a  church, 
and  Edward  Upham  became  their  pastor.  He  was  born 
at  Maiden  in  1709,  and  educated  at  Cambridge  College, 
where  he  graduated  in  1734.  After  ministering  at  Spring- 
field about  nine  years,  he  removed  to  Newport  and  be- 
came the  successor  of  John  Callender,  the  author  of  the 
Century  Sermon.  Here  he  remained  about  twenty  years, 
when  he  went  back  to  his  old  flock  at  Springfield,  and 
continued  his  labours  among  them  till  he  was  turned  of 
eighty,  when  a  violent  disorder  confined  him  to  his  bed. 
After  remaining  in  this  condition  about  five  years,  he  died 
in  1795,  at  the  good  old  age  of  eighty-seven.  ]Mr.  Up- 
ham was  one  of  the  earliest  and  most  zealous  friends  of 
.Rhode-Island  College,  of  which  he  was  an  original  Trus- 
tee and  Fellow. 

This  church  appears  to  have  been  once  dissolved  and 
formed  anew,  as  it  is  now  dated  in  1789.  Its  present  pas- 
tor is  Jesse  Wightman,  a  grandson  of  the  founder  of  the  Gro- 
ton  church  in  Connecticut.  A  second  church  has  arisen 
in  this  town,  whose  pastor  is  Thomas  Rand,  who  was 
educated  at  Brown  University. 

West-Springfield  is  on  the  west  side  of  Connecticut 
River,  twenty-eight  miles  above  Hartford.  Opposite  is 
Springfield,  in  which  a  small  church  was  formed  in  1811. 


438      Chesterfield^  Hinsdale^  and  Cheshire  Churches. 

Chesterfield  is  the  largest  church  in  this  association  ;  it 
was  formed  in  17aO  of  only  ten  members,  which  have 
now  increased  to  about  two  hundred.  This  body,  by 
giving  annual  certificates,  has  from  its  beginning  escaped 
the  rapacious  hands  of  the  sacred  constables.  Its  first 
pastor  was  Ebenezer  Vining  ;  its  present  is  Asa  Todd, 
an  elder  of  good  repute,  who  was  born  in  North-Haven, 
Connecticut,  in  1756. 

The  Hinsdale  church  in  this  body  has  been  much  dis^ 
tressed  even  within  the  present  century  for  taxes  towards 
building  a  meeting-house  for  the  Congregational  society. 

On  west  of  these  churches,  in  the  county  of  Berkshire, 
are  tight  belonging  to  the  Shaftsbur)''  Association.  South 
of  them  are  some  connected  with  the  Danbury  Association 
in  Connecticut.  And  interspersed  among  all  of  these  arc 
a  considerable  number  of  good  repute,  which  for  different 
reasons  do  not  belong  to  any  associate  connexion.  As 
correct  a  view  of  them  as  can  be  obtained  will  be  exhibit-, 
ed  in  the  General  Table. 

A  few  sketches  of  the  churches  in  Cheshire  must  close 
the  history  of  this  State.  This  town  has  been  a  distin- 
guished nursery  of  Baptists  for  many  years.  Great  num- 
bers have  been  baptized  in  it,  who  have  removed  to  other 
places  ;  but  there  yet  remain  two  chu relies,  which,  togeth- 
er, contain  upwards  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  members. 

In  1766,  some  men  of  Providence  and  Coventry  in 
Rhode- Island,  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land,  near  the 
head  of  Hoosack  River,  which  was  afterwards  settled  by 
people  from  that  State,  from  Swansea,  and  other  places 
near  ;  the  settlement  was  at  first  called  New- Providence. 
Afterwards  a  part  of  it  was  incorporated  with  the  town  of 
Adams,  and  probably  some  of  it  fell  into  other  towns.  In 
1793,  the  town  of  Cheshire  was  incorporated  out  of  part 
of  Adams,  Lanesborough,  and  a  number  of  surrounding 
towns.  These  frequent  subdivisions  of  townships  has 
led  to  some  confusion  in  this  part  of  our  narrative,  as  there 
is  no  one  at  hand  to  give  explanations  on  the  matter  ;  but 
it  is  sufficient  to  observe  that  in  this  region  have  arisen  a 
nuuibe.'  of  churches,  which  were  begun  by  people  mostly 
from  Rhode- Island,  Swansea,  and  Rehoboth  ;  the  oldest 
of  them  are  now  called  the  first  and  second  in  Cheshire, 
and  belong  to  the  Shaftsbury  Association.  The  first  of  these 


Cheshire  Church.,.. Mr.  Mason.  439 

was,  in  its  beginning,  called  Adams,  and  was  begun  by- 
Peter  Werden  from  Rhode- Island,  of  whom  a  farther  ac- 
count  will  be  given  in  the  biographical  department.  The 
second  was  planted  by  Nathan  Mason  of  Swansea,  who 
previously  founded  a  church  in  Nova- Scotia,  as  has  beea 
stated  in  the  history  of  that  Province. 

These  two  churches  have  passed  through  various  changes, 
and  have  been  favoured  with  refreshing  seasons  of  a  re- 
markable kind.  The  first  is,  by  the  emigrations  of  its 
members  to  other  parts,  reduced  to  a  small  number,  and 
is  under  the  care  of  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Bartemus 
Braman.  The  other  is  still  large,  and  has  for  its  minister 
Mr.  John  Leland,  whose  name  is  well  known  throughout 
the  United  States.  Mr.  Mason  was  born  in  Swansea,  1726J 
and  was  baptized  in  the  24th  year  of  his  age,  by  Job  Mason, 
then  pastor  of  the  second  church  in  that  town.  In  1763 
he,  with  a  company  of  his  brethren,  went  to  Nova- Scotia, 
where  they  tarried  about  eight  years,  when  he  came  back 
and  settled  in  this  place,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  useful  life.  The  company,  which  came  back  fron> 
Nova-Scotia,  consisted  of  twelve ;  they  found  here  six 
more  of  their  Swansea  brethren,  and  these  eighteen  were 
formed  into  a  church  in  1771,  and  united  with  the  Rhode^ 
Island  Yearly  Meeting.  In  ten  years  from  that  time  they 
increased  to  about  two  hundred  members,  which  were 
scattered  in  many  of  the  surrounding  towns,  and  laid  th^ 
foundations  for  some  of  the  neighbouring  chuiches. 
Among  the  number  added  in  this  period  was  Mr.  Joseph 
Cornell,  late  pastor  of  the  second  church  in  Providence, 
Rhode-Island.  This  church  was  founded  on  the  Six 
Principle  Plan,  which  lays  peculiar  stress  upon  the  Laying- 
on-of-hands.  Bat  disputes  upon  this  doctrine  at  length 
crept  in  among  them,  and  finally  arose  so  high,  that  in 
1788  the  church  was  divided.  The  greater  part,  among 
whom  was  Elder  Mason,  held  that  the  Laying-on-of-hands 
ought  not  to  be  a  bar  of  communion.  Those,  who  held 
this  doctrine,  maintained  a  church  a  number  of  years,  but 
it  appears  now  to  have  become  extinct. 

Mr.  Mason  died  a  short  time  since  in  a  good  old  age, 
and  left  behind  a  character  fair  and  irreproachable,  "  He 
was,"  says  Mr.  Leland,  "  a  man  of  peace  and  godliuesSj 
preaching  seven  days  in  a  week  by  his  life  and  conversa? 


440  Mr.  Leland.,., Mammoth  Cheese 

tion."  Sometime  previous  to  his  death,  Mr.  Leland  re- 
turned from  Virginia,  settled  in  Cheshire,  and  took  a  part 
with  him  in  the  ministry.  Under  his  labours  a  revival 
commenced  in  1799,  which  prevailed  in  such  an  astonish- 
ing  manner,  that  from  the  first  of  September,  1799,  to  the 
first  of  April,  1800,  two  hundred  and  twenty  were  added 
to  the  church,  which  increased  its  number  to  three  hun- 
died  and  ninety  six.  Since  that  time  some  have  been 
added,  but  great  numbers  have  removed  from  them  to  the 
western  country. 

Mr.  Leland  was  born  in  Grafton,  Worcester  county, 
Massachusetts,  1754  ;  at  the  age  of  twenty  he  was  baptiz- 
ed by  Mr.  Noah  Alden,  joined  the  church  in  Bellingham, 
and  not  long  after  began  to  preach.  In  1776,  he  went 
into  Virginia,  where  he  remained  about  fourteen  years. 
Some  account  of  his  labours  in  that  state  -w  ill  be  given> 
when  we  come  to  its  history.  In  1791,  he  returned  to 
New-England  and  settled  in  Cheshire,  as  has  been  related. 
Mr.  Leland  has  made  great  and  successful  exertions  for 
liberty  of  conscience,  both  in  Virginia  and  New-England. 
For  the  vindication  of  this  important  subject  he  published 
his  Virginia  Chronicle^  Jack  Nips^  Blow  at  the  Root^  Stroke 
at  the  Branches,  Yankee  Spy,  ^c.  His  speech  in  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Assembly  uill  be  given  in  the  Appendix. 

Cheshire  is  famous  for  its  excellent  cheese,  and  in  1801, 
a  number  of  farmers  united  their  efforts,  and  made  one  of 
the  astonishing  weight  of  thirteen  himdred pounds  /*  This 
was  called  the  Mammoth  Cheese  ;  it  was  designed  as  a 
present  to  Mr.  Jefferson,  then  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  Mr.  Leland  was  commissioned  to  conduct  it  to  Wash- 
ington. In  the  journey  he  was  gone  four  months,  in  which 
time  he  preached  seventy-four  times,  and  multitudes  every 
where  flocked  to  hear  the  Mammoth  priest.  Mr.  Leland 
is  remarkable  for  his  singularities,  and  also  for  his  success 
in  the  ministry.  In  1810,  he  had  baptized  eleven  hundred 
and  sixty-three  persons,  about  seven  hundred  of  them  in 
Virginia. 

From  this  Cheshire  church  have  proceeded,  besides 
Mr.  Cornell,  Josiah  Goddard,  now  of  Conway^  the  compi- 

*  The  Authoi'  saw  one  in  tliis  town  a  few  years  after,  which  weighed  fif- 
teen hundred  pounds.  It  was,  if  I  am  rightly  informed,  sold  for  a  larg-e  sum, 
to  be  put  into  a  Museum. 


Massachusetts  Laws.  441 

ler  of  a  Hymn  Book,  which  is  well  esteemed  ;  Aaron  Sea- 
mans,  now  of  North- Hampton,  New-York,  and  a  num- 
ber of  other  ministers.  It  uas  with  this  church  that  the 
late  worthy  Lemuel  Covel  was  setded  as  an  assistant  to 
Mr.  Leland  a  little  before  his  death. 

We  have  thus  given  a  general  view  of  the  progress  of 
our  brethren  in  Massachusetts,  and  from  the  foregoing 
sketches  it  appears  that  their  sufferings  and  successes  have 
both  been  great. 

We  shall  now  give  a  brief  account  of  the  laws,  which 
have  operated  against  them.,  and  also  those  by  which  they 
have  been  exempted  from  time  to  time. 

In  the  writings  of  Dr.  Cotton  Mather  we  find  the  follow- 
ing correct  statement  ;  "  The  reioiming  churches,  flying 
Irom  Rome,  carried,  some  of  them  more  and  some  of  them 
less,  all  of  them  something  of  Rom.e  with  them,  especially 
in  that  spirit  of  imposition  ip^d  persecution,  which  too  much 
cleaved  to  them  all."*  This  remarkable  concession  ex- 
plains the  whole  subsequent  conduct  of  the  Massachusetts 
rulers.  They  legislated  by  the  advice  and  with  the  assist- 
ance of  their  ministers,  who  desired  that  their  government 
might  be  considered  a  theocracy,  and  that  the  Lord  would 
lead  his  pec^ple  by  the  hand  of  Moses  and  Aaron.  At 
first,  none  but  church  members  were  allowed  to  vote  in 
the  election  of  rulers,  and  as  none  could  be  admitted  into 
their  churches  but  by  the  ministers,  they  had,  in  effect, 
the  keys  of  the  state  as  well  as  the  church  in  their  hands. f 
Thus,  in  the  beginning  of  their  government,  church  and 
state  were  united  by  the  strongest  ties ;  the  ministers  as- 
sisted in  legislation,  and  the  magistrate,  in  return,  lent  his 
aid  in  ecclesiastical  affairs. 

The  Massachusetts  people  seem  to  have  been  ambitious 
from  the  first  of  erecting  a  peculiar  government  for  them- 
selves, in  which  no  dissenter  should  be  permitted  to  re- 
main. They  compared  their  Colony  to  the  land  of  Ca- 
naan, the  Congregational  party  were  the  chosen  people  of 
God,  and  all,  who  differed  from  them  in  opinion  and  prac- 
tice, were  like  the  seven  nations  of  the  Canaanites,  who  were 
to  be  driven  out  of  the  land  which  the  Lord  their  God  had 

•  Backus,  vol.  i.  p.  63.     +  Hannah  Adams'  Hist,  of  New-England^  p.  34,  25, 
VOL.    I.  S& 


442  Religions  Taxes. 

given  them.  '^  At  first  their  ministers  were  supported  by 
the  -voluntary  contributions  of  their  flocks  ;  but  in  1638, 
a  law  was  made,  empowering  the  parish  officers  to  distrain 
the  due  proportion  from  those  who  would  not  contribute 
in  a  voluntary  way.  This  law  was  much  opposed  by 
some  of  their  own  party,  and  one  Nathaniel  Briscoe,  of 
Watertown,  wrote  a  book  against  it,  for  which  he  was 
fined  ten  pounds  ;  and  one  John  Stowers,  for  reading  some 
of  it  before  a  company  of  his  friends,  was  fined  foiiy 
shiUings.f  But  notwithstanding  the  murmurs  of  sojue, 
this  law  prevailed,  and  has  been  the  source  of  unspeakable 
trouble  and  damage  to  the  Baptists  and  other  dissenters 
in  this  commonwealth.  We  are  informed,  in  1657,  the 
people  of  Ipswich  settled  a  miaister,  and  voted  to  give 
him  a  hundred  pounds  to  build  him  a  house,  and  taxed  all 
the  inhabitants  to  pay  it.  *'  This  being  a  new  thing, 
several  persons  would  not  comply  with  the  scheme,"  and 
one,  who  had  his  pewter  seized  for  the  tax,  prosecuted 
the  collector,  and  recovered  his  furniture  with  cost  and 
damages.  The  reason  rendered  by  the  judge  for  this  de- 
cision, was  just  such  as  every  advocate  for  liberty  would 
give. I  In  these  squabbles  none  but  Pedobaptists  were 
concerned  ;  but  the  opposing  efforts  of  a  few  soon  gave 
way  to  the  prevalence  of  an  iniquitous  and  tyrannical  cus- 
tom, and  for  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  past, 
all  the  towns  and  parishes  throughout  this  commonwealth, 
with  the  exception  of  Boston  and  a  few  other  places,  have 
raised  all  monies  for  supporting  their  ministers,  building 
their  meeting-houses,  and  for  other  religious  purposes,  by 
a  general  assessment  upon  all  rateable  poles  of  every  de- 
scription, and  upon  all  taxable  property,  which  happened 
to  lie  within  the  parish  bounds.  The  taxing  laws  go  up- 
on the  supposition  that  all  are  of  the  predominant  party, 
and  if  any  are  exempted,  it  is  not  because  it  is  their  right,  but 
in  consequence  of  a  special  act  of  favour  from  the  govern- 
ment. According  to  Mr.  Backus,  the  first  law  of  the 
Massachusetts  Assembly  to  exempt  any  denomination  from 
sacred  taxes,  was  passed  immediately  after  the  great  earth- 

•  According  to   Capt.   Johnson   the   seven  nations  or  sectaries  were  Gor- 
tonista.  Papists,  Famalists,  Seekers,   Antinomians,  Anabaptists,   and  the  Prelacv 

Backus,  vol  iii.  p,  238. 
f  Backus  vol.  i.  p.  100. 
i  Backus,  vol  i.  p.  310,  312 


Baptists,  Ridkers,  and  Episcopaliam  imprisoned.     443 

quake  in  1727.*  This  was  in  favour  of  the  Episcopalians. 
The  next  year  a  law  was  passed  to  exempt  Anabaptists 
and  Quakers,  provided,  that  they  usually  attended  the 
meetings  of  their  respective  societies,  and  lived  within  Jive 
mUes  of  the  place  of  meeting  ;  otherwise  their  taxes  must 
be  paid.  This  lavv  was  to  continue  in  force  no  longer 
than  till  May,  1733.  And  between  the  time  of  its  passing 
and  expiration,  twenty-eight  Baptists,  two  Quakers,  and 
two  Episcopalians,  were  imprisoned  at  Bristol  by  the  con- 
stables of  Rehoboth,  for  ministerial  taxes.  The  pretext 
for  this  oppression  was,  that  the  law  of  1727  was  not  to 
go  into  operation  until  the  next  year.  But  the  Governor 
and  Council  decided  the  contrary. f  As  soon  as  this  lavv 
expired,  taxes  were  again  imposed  upon  our  brethren,  and 
some  were  imprisoned  ;  but  by  applying  to  the  Legisla- 
ture they  were  again  exempted  until  1740.  Fresh  trou- 
bles breaking  out  at  the  expiration  of  that  term  of  grace, 
they  were  again  obliged  to  beg  for  mercy,  and  obtained 
a  respite  of  seven  years  more.  After  that  an  exempting 
law  was  passed  for  ten  years,  which  brings  us  down  to 
1757.  Then  another  one  was  passed,  which  lasted  thir- 
teen years,  that  is,  until  1770  ;  but  so  was  it  framed,  that 
no  tongue  nor  pen,  says  Mr.  Backus,  can  fully  describe 
all  the  evils  that  were  practised  under  it :  Such  was  the 
precarious  and  ever  failing  tenure,  by  which  the  Baptists, 
Quakers,  and  others,  held  their  liberty  and  preserved  their 
horses,  cows,  swine,  poultry,  furniture,  &c.  from  the  des- 
tructive hands  of  ministerial  collectors.  The  rulers  in 
this  government,  instead  of  enacting  a  perpetual  lavv  for 
the  exemptiofi  of  dissenters  in  case  they  would  give  cer- 
tificates as  they  did  in  Connecticut,  chose  rather  to  hold 
the  rod  continually  over  their  heads,  and  keep  them  for- 
ever ii^  uncertainty  and  fear. 

In  1770,  another  act  was  passed,  which  appears  to  have 
continued  until  the  State  Constitution  was  formed.  Soon 
after  this  period,  the  disputes  came  on  which  terminated 
in  the  American  war,  and  until  its  close  all  parties  were 
so  much  engaged  in  its  struggles,  that  the  business  of  par- 
ish taxes  does  not  appear  to  have  been  prosecuted  in  a 
very  rigorous  manner.  The  exertions,  which  our  breth- 
ren of  this  Commonwealth  made  to  secure  to  themselves 
•  Backus,  Vol.  II.  p,  85.  \  Backus,  vol.  II.  p.  88. 


444  Oppresshe  Laws  enacted. 

and  descendants  the  enjoyment  of  religious  freedom,  un- 
der the  new  form  of  government,  have  already  l)een  in 
part  related,  and  will  be  more  fully  brought  to  view  in  the 
biography  of  Mr.  B  ickus. 

All  the  exempting  acts,  which  we  have  referred  to,  were 
qualified  with  requi^^iiions  of  an  humiliating  nature,  which 
some  refused  to  comply  with  ;•  most,  however,  to  avoid 
greater  evils,  consented  to  make,  what  Mr.  Lcland  calls, 
the  Certificate  Bow. 

We  have  seen  that  the  law  of  1728  exempted  only 
those  who  lived  within  five  miles  of  the  place  ol  meeting. 
This  limitation  was  afterwards  left  out,  but  it  was  still 
necessary  that  a  long  perplexing  certificate  should,  upon 
oath  or  solemn  affirmation,  be  annually  presented  to  the 
county  clerk,  who  must  give  it  to  the  parish  assessors, 
before  any  one  could  be  excused  from  paying  the  sa- 
cred rates.  This  certificate  was  to  be  signed  by  "  Meet 
persons  in  each  respective  society,"  and  was  to  contain  a 
list  of  all  who  professed  themselves  Anabaptists,  &c.  and 
usually  attended  their  meetings.* 

The  law  of  1752f  enacted  that  certificates  in  future 
should  be  signed  by  the  Baptist  minister,  and  two  princi- 
pal members  of  the  church  ;  but  it  was,  at  the  same  time, 
furthermore  enacted,  that  no  minister  or  church  should 
have  power  to  give  lawful  certificates,  until  they  should 
have  obtained  "  From  three  other  churches^  in  this  or  the 
neighbouring  pron^inces,  a  certificate  from  each  respectively, 
that  they  esteemed  such  church  to  he  of  their  denomination, 
and  that  they  conscientiously  belie'ued  them  to  be  Anabap- 
tists.''^X  This  was  truly  adding  insult  to  injury,  since  it 
was  well  known  that  our  brethren  had  never  acknowledg- 
ed the  term  Anabaptists  as  descriptive  of  their  sentiments, 
but  had  always  understood  it  as  the  language  of  either  ig- 
norance or  malice.  But  now  they  were  obliged  to  heap 
certificate  upon  certificate,  and  in  the  end  to  testify  a  con- 
scientious  belief  of  a  point  which  they  had  ever  coTitended 
was  erroneous  and  false.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  how 
any  could  obtain  certificates  under  these  detestable  reg- 

*  Backus,  vol.  ii.  p.  87. 
t  At  this  time  they  broke  over  tlieir  own  law  with  particular  reference 
the  Church  in  Sturbridge.  Backus. 

t  Backus,  vol.  ii.  p.  19.". 


r 


State  Constitution.  445 

Illations  :  it  is  probable,  however,   they  qualified  the  mat- 
ter by  saying,  commonly  called  Anabaptists^  &c. 

The  next  law  modified  matters  a  little  by  requiring  the 
certifiers  to  say  they  conscientiously  believed  the  persons 
in  question  to  be  of  their  persuasion, Sec. 

'rhe  law  of  1770  enacted  that  certificates  should  be 
signed  by  three  or  more  principal  members  of  the  church, 
and  minister,  if  any  there  were.  The  word  conscientious 
was  retained,  but  the  term  church  was  exchanged  for  con- 
gregation, and  Anabaptist  for  Antipedobaptist  By  this 
law,  and  all  former  ones,  certificates  uere  to  be  annually- 
procured.  At  the  same  time  this  law  was  passed,  it  was 
further  enacted,  that  parishes  might,  if  they  pleaded,  vote 
the  Bi^jtists  clear  without  any  certificates.  But  it  does 
not  appear  that  any  vote  of  this  kii«i  was  ever  passed. 

These  statements  will  give  the  Baptists  in  other  parts, 
a  view  of  the  \cxatious  entanglements  in  which  their 
brethren  in  this  boasted  asylum  of  liberty  were  continual- 
ly involved. 

When  the  State  Constitution  was  adopted,  the  Bflptists, 
and  other  dissenters,  hoped  for  a  full  relief  from  their  long 
scene  of  affliction  on  account  of  religious  imposts.  The 
Bill  of  Rights  apparently  secured  to  them  the  peaceable 
enjoyment  of  that  nligious  freedom,  which  they  had  so 
long  and  ardendy  desired,  and  for  the  attainment  of  which, 
they  had  made  every  exertion.  v\  hich  prudence  could  dic- 
tate and  diligence  perform.  This  Bill  declares  that  in  this 
Commonwealth,  "  no  subordination  of  any  one  sect  or  de- 
nomination to  another  shall  ever  be  established  by  law." 
And  that  "  no  subject  shall  be  hurt,  molested  or  restrained 
in  his  person,  liberty,  or  estate,  for  worshipping  God  in 
the  maimer  and  season  most  agreeable  to  the  dictates  of 
his  own  conscience,"  &c.  What  more  could  any  subject 
ask  of  his  government  ?  and  we  may  further  inquire,  by 
what  unaccountable  process  has  this  Bill  of  Rights  been 
so  often  contradicted  and  violated  ?  The  only  solution  of 
this  mysterious  affair  is,  that  the  same  Bill,  (Article  III.) 
declares  that,  "  As  the  happiness  of  a  people,  and  the 
good  order  and  preservation  of  civil  government  essential- 
ly depend  on  piety,  religion,  morality,  &c.  the  Legislature 
shall,  from  time  to  time,  authorise  and  require  the  several 
towns,  parishes,  and  precincts,  &c.  to  make  suitable  pro- 


446  Bill  of  Rights  counteracted* 

vision,  at  their  own  expense,  for  the  instituiion  of  the  pub- 
lick  worship  of  God,  and  for  the  support  and  maintenance 
of  pubUck  protestant  teachers  of  piety,  religion,  morahty, 
&c."  The  way  in  which  this  provision  was  to  be  made  was 
prescribed  in  an  act  of  1786,  which  en\powers  "  The  qual- 
ified voters  of  any  parish  or  precinct,  at  every  annual 
meeting,  to  grant  such  sum  or  sums  of  money  as  they  shall 
judge  necessary,  for  ministers — meeting-houses — or  oth- 
er parish  charges,  to  be  assessed  on  the  poles  and  proper- 
ty, within  the  same,  as  by  law  provided."*  The  Congre- 
gational denomination,  it  is  true,  is  not  named  in  this  act, 
nor  any  other  which  regards  the  support  of  religious  teach- 
ers, &c.  The  power  was  given  to  the  majority  of  every 
parish,  precinct,  &c.  and  it  was  well  known  to  the  law- 
makers, that  the  Congregationalists,  with  a  very  h\v  except 
tions,  composed  this  majority,  so  that  they  without  being 
named  as  such,  became,  in  fact,  the  established  party,  and 
had  without  appearing  to  ask  the  favour,  a  control  of  all 
other  sects  put  into  their  hands.  If  it  should  so  happen 
that  in  any  town,  parish,  &c.  the  Baptists  should  be  a  ma- 
jority, they  also  had  the  power  of  assessing  taxes  and  col- 
lecting them  by  law.  But  this  power  they  rather  depre- 
cate than  desire  ;  they  do  not  thank  any  government  to 
sanction  among  them  a  mode  of  procedure  so  contrary 
to  all  their  notions  of  regulating  religious  affairs. 

Thus  we  see  that  the  Bill  of  Rights  with  all  its  strong  as- 
surances of  impartiality,  with  all  its  expressions  of  pater- 
nal care,  was  counteracted  by  subsequent  acts  of  the 
Legislature.  The  major  party  was  put  in  possession  of  a 
religious  establishment  ;  the  Congregationalists  composed 
this  majority,  and  of  course  conducted  the  business  of  par- 
ish taxes  as  the}'  pleased  ;  and  all  minorities  were  obliged 
to  submit  to  their  regulations.  But  there  was  still  one 
avenue  left  for  the  escape  of  dissenters.  The  Bill  of 
Rights  declares,  that  "  all  monies  paid  by  the  subject,  to 
the  support  of  publick  worship.  Sec.  shall,  if  he  require  it, 
be  uniformly  applied  to  the  support  of  a  public  teacher  or 
teachers  of  his  own  religious  sect  or  denomination,  pro- 
vided there  be  any  on  whose  instructions  he  attends  ;" 
otherwise  his  money  is  forfeited  to  the  use  of  the  parish. 
The  construction  put  upon  this  article  was,  that  the  nioncn 

•  Laws  of  Mass.  Vcl.  I.  p.  SSr. 


Petition  of  the  Baptists  to  the  Legislature.         447 

must  be  paid  into  the  treasury,  and  then  be  drawn  out  by 
an  order  on  the  treasurer,  &c.  And  in  this  way  the  busi- 
ness was  conducted  from  the  adoption  of  the  State  Con- 
stitution, until  1811,  that  is,  about  thirty  years.  The 
Baptists  and  all  others,  excepting  the  Quakers,  must  pay 
their  proportion  towards  the  support  of  religion,  and  then 
they  might  diVSiW  their  money  back  again,  if  they  could,  for 
their  own  ministers.  Those  communities  of  the  establish- 
ed order,  who  were  condescending  upon  the  matter,  paid 
over  these  monies  without  hesitation  ;  but  in  many  cases 
difficulties  ensued,  and  the  money,  once  deposited  in  the 
treasury,  could  not  be  drawn  back  without  a  legal  process, 
and  not  always  then.  It  would  be  tedious  to  go  over  the 
whole  history  of  this  perplexing  economy  ;  it  is  sufficient 
to  observe,  that  in  a  multitude  of  cases,  the  Baptists  as 
well  as  others,  were  treated  in  a  churlish,  fraudulent,  and 
abusive  manner.  After  all  their  precautions  and  attempts 
for  justice,  they  were  shuffled  out  of  their  rights,  and  oblig- 
ed to  sit  down  and  console  themselves  for  their  losses  as 
well  as  they  could.  Assessors,  collectors,  treasurers,  judges, 
and  jurors,  were  generally  against  them,  and  of  course  their 
attempts  at  redress  were  easily  defeated. 

In  this  posture  the  business  of  taxes  for  religious  pur- 
poses remained,  until  the  beginning  of  1811,  when  an 
event  took  place,  which  awakened  the  fears  and  called 
forth  the  energies  of  the  united  body  of  dissenters.  At  the 
time  referred  to,  the  late  Judge  Parsons,  then  the  Chief 
Justice  of  the  State,  in  a  trial  of  one  of  these  cases  respect, 
ing  drawing  back  money,  &:c.  decided,  that  no  society,  ex- 
cept those  Vv'hich  were  incorporated  by  law,  could  be  enti- 
tled to  the  privilege.  Immediately  upon  die  news  of  this 
decision,  a  Circular  Address,  signed  in  behalf  of  others, 
by  Dr.  Baldwin  of  Boston,  Mr.  Williams  of  Beverly,  and 
Mr.  Bolles  of  Salem,  was  distributed  through  the  State  ; 
accom.panying  it  was  the  following  petition  to  the  Legis- 
lature : 

TO  the  Honorable  Senate,  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  in  General  Court  assembled,  the 
Petition  of  the  Subscribers,  being  of  the  religious  denomination  of 
Christians,  called   ^Baptists,  or  as  the  case  may  be.) 

HUMBLY    SHEWETH, 

THAT  whereas  it  appears  to  have  been  the  wise  and  equitable  in- 
tention of  the  framers  of  the  Constitution  of  this  state,  to  secure  to 


448      Petition  to  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts. 

the  citizens  individually,  the  equal  enjoyment  of  their  religious  rights 
and  privileges  ;  and  to  bar  in  the  most  ett'ectual  manner  every  at- 
tempt to  introduce,  or  maintain  a  "  subordination  of  any  one  sect  or 
deuomi  nation  of  Ciiristians  to  another."  And  whereas  it  is  also  express- 
ly declared  in  the  third  article  of  the  Bill  of  Rights,  wliich  makes  a 
part  of  the  said  Constitution,  that  "  all  monies  paid  by  the  subject 
to  the  support  of  the  publick  worship  and  of  the  publick  teachers, 
shall,  if  he  require  it,  be  uniformly  applied  to  the  support  of  the 
publick  teaciier,  or  teachers  o'i  his  own  religious  sect,  or  denomina- 
tioa,  provided  there  be  any  on  w  hose  religious  instructions  he  attends." 
In  conformity  to  the  construction  which  has  heretofore  been  given 
to  this  Ariicle,  many  when  taxed  to  the  support  of  religious  teachers 
oi"  a  dirierent  denomination,  have  applied  for  tlie  monies  thus  collect- 
ed, and  required,  that  they  should  be  paid  overto  the  religious  teach- 
er of  their  own  denomination,  on  whose  ministrations  they  attended. 
In  some  instances,  the  money  thus  required,  has  been  paid  over  to 
the  religious  teacher  of  their  choice  ;  but  more  frequently  it  has  been 
detained,  until  recovered  by  a  /egal  process,  notwithstanding 
the  plain  provisions  of  the  above  article. 

Your  Honors'  petitioners  beg  leave  further  to  state,  that  by  the 
late  decisions  of  the  Supi'eme  Bench,  a  new  construction,  as  we  con- 
ceive, has  been  given  to  the  above  article  ;  limiting  it  wholly  to  in- 
corporated  religious  Societies ;  so  thai  no  money  can  be  claimed  by 
the  subject  for  the  use  of  the  religious  teacher  on  whose  instructions 
he  atleiids,  unless  he  be  the  teacher  of  an  incorporated  society.  By 
the  above  construction,  a  great  proportion  of  persons  who  regularly 
worshi;)  in  unincorporated  societies,  will  be  obliged  to  payto  th  e 
supj)ort  of  teachers  with  whom  they  disagree  in  principle,  and  from 
whose  instructions  they  conscientiously  dissent  ;  and  without  any  le- 
gal remedy  whatever. 

in  consequence  of  the  foregoing  construction,  which  we  believe  to 
be  contrary  to  the  intentions  of  the  framers  of  the  constitution,  many 
%vorthy  conscientious  Christians  will  be  subjected  to  a  double  pro- 
portion of  ministerial  taxes.  Duty,  honour,  and  gratitude,  will 
oblige  them  to  pay  to  the  teacher  on  whose  instructions  they  attend  ; 
and  by  the  above  construction  of  the  laws,  thev  will  also  be  obliged 
to  pay  to  the  support  of  such  as  they  do  not,  and  cannot  conscientious- 
ly hear 

Your  Honors'  petitioners  beg  leave  further  to  observe,  that  to  the 
unequal  o  eration  of  the  laws,  or  more  especially  to  the  above-inen- 
tioaed  constructioii  of  tliein,  may  (as  we  humbly  conceive)  be  attri- 
buted, the  unusual  and  increasing  number  of  petitions  to  the  Gen- 
eral Court  for  acts  of  incorj,>oraiion.  To  tliis  mode  of  procedure, 
however,  uiany  have  cousc  ientious  scruples  ;  but  even  if  they  had 
not,  it  must  be  acknowledged  as  but  a  partial  remedy  for  the  evil  of 
which  we  complain  :  while  the  state  is  subjected  to  a  needless  expense 
in  granting  acts  of  incorporation. 

IN  ORDER,  THEREFORE,  more  effectually  to  remedy  the 
foregoing  eviU,  and  place  your  petitioners  upon  an  equal  footing  of 
privileges  vvith  their  fellow  citizens,  we  pray  your  Ho.iors  to  take  this 
subject  into  your  serious  and  wise  consideration,  and  cause  the  several 


ALavo  passed  to  exempt  Baptists  from  Taxation.     449 

existing  laws  respecting  the  worship  of  God,  to  be  so  revised  and 
amended,  that  all  deiiomiiiatious  of  christians  may  be  exempt  from 
being  taxed  to  the  support  of  religious  teachers,  excepting  those  on 
whose  nniaistrations  they  voluntarily  attend.  Or  otherways  to  grant 
such  relief  in  the  premises,  as  your  Honors  may  deem  proper  ;  and. 
your  petitioners,  as  in  duty  bound,  shall  ever  pray. 

This  petition  was  signed  by  many  thousands  of  citizens  of 
ahnost  every  denomination,  for  many  of  the  Congregation- 
alists  went  heartily  into  this  measure.  When  the  business 
came  before  the  Ab^embly,  it  underwent  a  long  and  ani- 
mated discussion  ;  the  Speech  of  Mr.  John  Leland,  who 
accepted  a  seat  in  the  Legislature  for  the  purpose  of  aiding 
this  measure,  will  be  given  in  the  Appendix.  Other  able 
speeches  were  made  by  different  gentlemen,  and  particular- 
ly by  Rev.  Mr.  Cannon,  a  Methodist  minister  from  Nan- 
tucket.^ In  the  end,  a  law  was  passed  of  the  following 
import.  That  u  henever  any  person  shall  become  a  mem- 
ber of  any  religious  society,  corporate  or  unincorporate, 
and  shall  produce  a  certificate  of  such  membership  to  the 
clerk  of  the  town  where  he  dwells,  signed  by  a  committee 
of  the  society  chosen  for  the  purpose,  such  person  shall 
ever  afterwards,  so  long  as  he  continues  such  membership, 
be  exempted  from  taxation  for  the  support  of  publick  wor- 
ship and  publick  teachers  of  religion,  in  every  other  relig- 
ious corporation  whatsoever.  This  law  was  passed  June, 
1811.  It  afforded  peculiar  relief  to  the  Baptists  and  other 
dissenters,  but  still  neither  party  is  altogether  satisfied  with 
it.  The  Congregationalists  are  afraid  that  they  have  given 
up  too  much,  but  the  dissenters  suppose  they  have  not  yet 
obtained  what  they  claim  as  their  just  and  i: .disputable 
right,  viz.  a  free  exemption  from  all  taxes  and  all  certifi- 
cates. They  think  it  best,  however,  for  the  present,  to 
shift  along  with  what  they  have  got,  and  obtain  the  rest 
when  Providence  shall  open  a  door.  The  Connecticut 
rulers,  notwithstanding  all  the  reproaches  cast  upon  them 
for  their  ancient  Blue  Laws,  have,  long  ago,  done  better 
for  dissenters  than  Massachusetts  has  at  this  late  period. 
There  a  dissenter  may  write  his  own  certificate ;  here  we 
see  he  must  procure  one  from  others. 

*  See  A  Blow  at  the  Root  of  Aristocracy,  p.  14,  &c. 
VOL.    I.  57 


456  Remarks  on  chil  Incorporation. 

A  few  remarks  on  civil  incorporations,  and  a  brief  re- 
capitulation shall  close  this  long,  perplexing  narrative  of 
law  affairs.  In  Rhode- Island,  New- York,  New- Jersey, 
and  all  the  middle,  southern  and  western  States,  churches 
and  religious  societies  obtain  acts  of  incorporation,  merely 
for  tl>e  purpose  of  managing  and  defending  their  property. 
No  religious  duties  are  imposed  upon  them  in  consequence 
of  these  acts,  nor  is  there  the  least  danger  of  any  inconve- 
nience arising  from  their  being  known  in  law  as  bodies 
politic  and  corporate.  For  these  reasons  they  wonder  why 
our  brethren  in  this  State  should  have  any  scruples  about 
the  business  of  incorporation.  They  ought  to  be  informed 
that  as  the  law  of  this  Commonwealth  now  stands,  every 
religious  society,  which  becomes  incorporated  by  civil  law, 
is  authorized,  in  case  a  major  vote  can  be  obtained,  to  as- 
sess whatever  sums  they  please  on  the  corporate  body,  and 
collect  it  by  a  course  of  law.  This  is  one  evil,  whii;h  ma- 
ny fear  from  incorporations. 

In  the  second  place,  every  incorporated  society,  of  what- 
ever denomination,  is  bound  by  law,  to  be  constantly  pro- 
vided with  a  preacher,  (whether  the  Lord  send  them  one 
or  not)  and  in  case  they  are  without  for  the  term  of  three 
months  in  any  six,  they  are  liable,  for  the  first  offence,  to  u 
fine  of  not  more  than  sixty  dollars^  nor  less  than  thirty ;  and 
for  every  after  offence,  their  fine  cannot  be  over  a  kimdred 
dollars,  nor  less  than  sixty :  the  costs  of  prosecution  they 
must  also  pay.  T'he  imposing  of  these  fines  is  left  at  the 
discretion  of  the  county  court,  and  the  avails  of  them  are 
to  be  disposed  of  to  the  support  of  the  publick  worship  of 
God,  8icc.-  This  is  the  second  evil  feared  from  incorpo- 
rations. But  it  ought  to  be  observed,  that  though  these 
evils  may  arise  to  incorporate  societies,  yet  there  is,  at 
present,  no  great  danger  of  them. 

But  a  still  greater  objection  to  incorporations  in  the 
minds  of  many  of  our  brethren  is,  that  they  cannot  persuade 
themselves  but  that  it  is  blending  law  and  gospel  together. 
They  have  been  so  long  harassed  with  this  policy,  that  the 
very  sound  of  law,  in  connexion  \^ith  the  gospel,  has  be- 
come offensive  to  their  ears,  and  awakens  their  strong  sus- 
picions and  disgust.  And  much  to  their  comfort,  the  law 
of  1811  has  provided  that  all  unincorporate  religious  socie- 

•  Laws  of  Massachusetts,  vol,  ii.  p.  931. 


A  Recapitulation  of  the  foregoing  Sketches,         431 

ties  shall  have  the  power  to  manage  and  defend  their  prop- 
crt}^  to  prosecute  and  sue  for  any  right,  &c.* 

To  recapitulate  the  foregoing  sketches  :  We  thus  see, 
that  our  brethren  have  had  a  long  scene  of  adversity  and 
distress  in  this  renowned  land  of  freedom.  All  taxes  f&r 
the  support  of  government  they  liave  ever  cheerfully  paid, 
but  those  for  religious  purposes  have  been  as  obnoxious 
to  them  as  tlie  vapours  of  Babylon,  and  as  ruinous  as  the 
locusts  of  Egypt.  They  have  ever  protested  against  them 
as  unequal  and  unjust,  as  not  authorized  either  by  the  orig- 
inal cliarter  of  the  colony,  by  the  tenure  of  their  lands,  by 
the  State  Constitution,  or  upon  any  other  consideration. 
Their  oppressions  have  been  grievous,  but  the  principle, 
from  which  they  have  proceeded,  has  ground  them  to  the 
quick.  Their  oppressors  have,  however,  held  the  reins, 
and  led  them  as  they  chose.  Laws  made  in  their  favour 
were  often  administered  against  them  ;  the  course  of  jus- 
tice was  pre\entcd  by  the  quibbles  of  lawyers  and  the  con- 
nivance of  courts  ;  the  interested  clergy  were  alwnys  cant- 
ing against  them  ;  and  the  petty  parish  officers  always 
acted  upon  the  principle,  that  the  priests  must  have  their 
salaries,  and  they  must  collect  thicm  according  to  law  ;  and 
finally,  the  important  Bill  of  Rights,  as  construed  by  re- 
nowned statesmen,  became  a  vague,  evasive  thing,  which, 
like  the  Oracle  of  Delphi,  gave  answers  susceptible  of 
many  difterent  meanings. 

We  have  happily  arrived  at  an  age,  in  which  the  spirit 
of  imposition  has  lost  much  of  its  former  force.  Many  of 
the  prevailing  party  here,  like  the  Episcopalians  of  Vir- 
ginia, have  just  notions  of  religious  liberty,  and  are  willing 
ail  should  enjoy  it  ;  but  we  believe  there  is  a  large  portion 
of  the  ancient  leaven  remaining,  and  dissenters  need  to  be 
on  their  guard  to  prevent  its  operations,  f 

*  Laws  of  Massachusetts,  vol.  I.  New  Series,  p.  227 

I  Most  of  this  lengthy  article  has  been  compiled  from  Backus'  History,  artd 
though  references  are  not  always  made,  the  reader  may  rest  assured  that  all 
important  statements  are  grounded  on  authorities  which  admit  of  no  dispute. 


4^        G  eogmphical  Description  of  Rhode-  Island. 
CHAPTER   XIII. 

RHODE-ISLAND. 

NOW  in  the  twelfth  year  of  Uie  reign  of  Charles  the  First 
king  of  Great- Britain,  and  the  dominions  thereunto  be- 
longing, Haynes  being  Governor  of  the  colony  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  Bradford  of  Plymouth,  Wilson  and  Cotton  be- 
ing chief  priests  at  Boston,  Roger  Williams,  filled  with 
the  spirit  of  liberty  and  anabaptism,  was  banished  from 
their  presence  and  fled  to  the  head  of  the  Narraganset  Bay, 
where  he  built  a  town  for  his  persecuted  brethren,  and 
founded  a  State,  which  is  now  called  Rhode- Island. 

As  this  State  was  first  settled  by  Baptists,  and  they  have 
always  been  the  pre^'ailing  denomination  in  it,  it  may  be 
proper  to  give  a  more  particular  account  of  its  origin  and 
civil  affairs,  than  we  shall  do  of  the  other  States. 

Rhode- Island  is  the  smallest  State  in  the  Union,  its 
greatest  length  being  forty  seven  miles,  its  greatest  breadth 
thirty  seven,  and  containing  only  about  thirteen  hundred 
square  miles.  It  is  bounded  north  and  east  by  Massachu- 
setts, south  by  the  Adantic,  and  west  by  Connecticut. 
It  is  divided  into  five  counties,  viz.  Providence,  Kent, 
Washington,  Newport,  and  Bristol  ;  these  counties  are 
subdivided  into  thirty-one  townships,  and  contained,  in 
1810,  about  seventy-seven  thousand  inliabitants.  This 
State  has  not  increased  very  rapidly  in  population  of 
late  years,  as  it  contained  about  sixty -thousand  inhabitants 
forty  years  ago.  No  part  of  the  United  States  is  more 
healthy,  but  the  territory  is  so  small,  that  every  part  of  it 
has  long  since  been  taken  up,  and  as  the  inhabitants  in- 
crease, they  are  obliged  to  remove  to  other  parts  for  settle- 
ments.. The  manuiacturing  interest  is  now  very  rapidly 
advancing,  and  the  number  of  inhabitants  will  probably  in- 
crease much  faster  for  the  future,  than  it  has  done  for  half 
a  century  past. 

The  island,  from  which  this  State  receives  its  name,  is 
about  fifteen  miles  long,  and  generally  about  three  miles- 
wide,  and  w'as,  before  the  American  war,  called  by  trav- 
ellers the  Eden  of  America.  It  is  divided  into  three  town- 
ships, by  the  name  of  Newport,  Middleton  and  Portsmouth. 


By  'whom  the  earli€st  Settlements  in  it  were  made.     453 

The  earliest  settlements  in  this  little  State  were  made 
by  two  separate  companies,  who  do  not  appear  to  have 
liad  any  knowledge  of  each  other's  designs.  The  first  was 
begun  by  Roger  Williams  aiid  his  persecuted  brethren  in 
1636  ;*  the  other  by  Dr.  John  Clark,!  William  Coding- 
ton, and  others,  about  1638.  The  place  where  Mr.  Wil- 
liams settled,  and  which  in  testimony  of  God's  merciful 
providence  to  him  in  his  distress,  he  named  Providence, 
was  by  the  Indians  called  Mooshausick.  Mr.  Clark  and 
his  company  settled  on  Aquidneck,  or  Aquetneck,  now 
called  Rhode-Island,  at  a  place  then  named  Pocasset,  now 
Portsmouth.  This  was  on  the  north  end  of  the  Islaijd,  be- 
tween twenty  and  thirty  miles  from  Mr.  Williams.  Some 
of  the  company  soon  after  removed  and  settled  on  the 
south-VACSt  part  of  the  Island,   w here  Newport  now  stands. 

In  1644,  the  inhabitants  of  Aquidneck  named  it  the  Isle 
of  Rhodes  or  Rhode- Island. 

A  third  settlement  \s  as  begun  on  Pawtuxet  River,  south 
of  Providence,  by  Samuel  Gorton  and  others,  about  1641. 

From  these  brief  sketches  we  shall  now  proceed  to  a 
more  circumstantial  account  of  the  commencement  of  these 
settlements. 

Roger  Williams  was  the  parent  and  founder  of  the  State 
of  Rhode- Island.  He  first  planted  the  standard  of  freedom 
and  peace  among  the  Narraganset  Indians,  and  all  the  set- 
tlements, which  were  afterw ards  made,  were  by  his  assist- 
ance. He  at  first  by  his  pacific  measures  and  peculiar  skill 
gained  the  friendship  of  the  Indian  princes,  and  any  favour, 
which  he  requested,  was  easily  obtained.  He  was  most 
thoroughly  convinced  that  the  untutored  savages  were 
lords  of  the  soil  on  which  the  God  of  nature  had  planted 
them,  and  therefore  took  the  utmost  care,  that  none  of  the 
inhabitants  of  this  infant  colony  should  occupy  the  least 
part  of  it  until  it  w  as  fairly  purchased  of  the  aboriginal  pro- 
prietors. The  Indians  did,  indeed,  in  some  instances  con- 
vey large  tracts  by  deeds  of  gift,  but  these  were  Indian 

*  I  have  followed  Mr.  Backus'  dates  in  describing  these  events.  Some 
historians  have  dated  Mr.  Williams'  settlement  in  1634  ;  but  no  one  has  in- 
vestigated this  subject  more  thoroughly  than  Mr.  Backus,  and  I  am  inclined 
lo  think  he  is  the  most  correct. 

f  Morgan  Edwards  observes,  that"  Mr.  Clark  was  properly  the  founder  of 
the  Rhode-Island  Colony,  although  Mr.  Codington  has  run  away  with  the 
praise  of  it." 


454        The  Cause  of  Roger  Williams''s  Banishmau. 

gifts,  which  ill  the  end  proved  very  costly.  But  the  ut- 
most care  Avas  taken  that  every  claim  should  be  satisfied, 
and  every  pretext  for  hostility  precluded. 

The  cause  of  the  banishment  of  this  worthy  man  from 
the  colony  of  Massachusetts  was  as  folio  us  :  He  was  most 
firmly  persuaded,  and  like  an  honest  man  faithfully  defend- 
ed the  two  following  important  propositions,  viz.  that  the 
Princes  of  Europe  had  no  right  whatever  to  dispose  of  the 
possessions  of  the  American  Indians  ;  and  secondly,  that 
civil  rulers  as  such  had  no  authority  from  God  to  regulate 
or  control  the  affairs  of  religion.  A  more  definite  state- 
ment of  this  last  proposition  will  be  made  in  the  account 
of  the  founding  of  the  church  in  Providence.  It  is  suffi- 
cient to  observe  here  that  out  of  his  maxims  of  religious 
liberty,  and  national  justice,  grew  most  of  the  heresies  con- 
tained in  his  indictment.-  And  such  were  his  talents  and 
address,  that  the  magistrates  were  fearful  Avhereunto  his 
opinions  would  grow,  and  after  some  ineffectual  endeavours 
to  convince  or  quiet  him  they  passed  against  him  the  cruel 
sentence  of  banishment,  October,  1635.  He  had  permis- 
sion to  tarry  within  their  jurisdiction  until  spring,  upon 
condition  "  that  he  would  not  go  about  to  draw  others  to 
his  opinions  ;"  but  in  January,  1636,  tl"ie  Governor  and 
Assistants  were  informed  that  he  received  and  preached  to 
companies  in  his  house  at  Salem,  "  even  of  such  points  as 
he  had  been  censured  for."  Having  received  this  informa- 
tion,  they  agreed  to  send  him  back  to  England  by  a.  ship 
then  ready  to  depart  ;  "  the  reason  was,  because  he  had 
drawn  about  twenty  people  to  his  opinions  ;  they  were  in- 
tended to  erect  a  plantation  about  the  Narragunsct  Bay, 
from  whence  infection  would  easily  spread  into  these 
churclies,  the  people  being  many  of  them  much  taken  with 
the  apprehension  of  his  godliness."  They  sent  for  him  to 
come  to  Boston,  but  he  sent  an  excuse  ;  upon  which  they 
sent  a  pinnace,  with  a  commission  to  Captain  Underhill, 
to  apprehend  him  and  carry  him  on  board  the  ship  then  at 
Nantasket  ;  but  when  they  came  to  his  house  they  found 
he  had  been  gone  three  days. 

•  "  The  sin  of  the  Patents,  Mr.  Williams  says,  lay  heavy  on  his  mind,  espe- 
cially that  part  by  whicli  Christian  king^s  (so  called)  were  invested  with  a 
right,  by  virtue  of  their  christianity,to  take  and  give  away  the  lands  and  coun- 
tries  of  other  men."  His  sentiments  on  this  subject,  Mr.  Cotton  inforr*B  us, 
formed  the  first  article  in  his  indictment.  Backus,  vol.  i.  p.  57,  58. 


Roger  Williams's  first  Deed  of  the  Indian  Lands.     455 

"  What  human  heart,"  says  Mr.  Backus,  "  can  be  un- 
affected with  the  thought,  that  a  people,  who  had  been 
soreh'  persecuted  in  their  own  country,  so  as  to  flee  three 
thousand  miles  into  a  wilderness  for  religious  liberty,  yet 
should  have  that  imposing  temper  cleaving  so  fast  to  them, 
as  not  to  be  willing  to  let  a  godly  minister,  who  testified 
against  it,  stay  even  in  any  neighbouring  part  of  this  wil- 
derness, but  moved  them  to  attempt  to  take  him  by  force, 
to  send  him  back  into  the  land  of  their  persecutors  !"* 

The  next  we  hear  of  this  injured  man,  was  on  the 
Seekhonk  plain,  since  called  Rehoboth,  a  few  miles  east  of 
Providence.  To  this  place,  which  was  then  wholly  inhab- 
ited by  savages,  he  fled  in  the  depth  of  winter  and  obtained 
a  grant  of  land  of  Osamaquin,  sometimes  called  Masasoit, 
chief  Sachem  at  Mount  Hope,  now  in  Bristol,  R.  I.  But 
he  was  soon  informed  by  a  letter  and  messenger  from  the 
men  of  Plymouth,  that  this  place  was  within  their  patent. 
He  next  went  over  Pawtucket  River,  as  will  be  related  in 
the  history  of  the  first  church  in  Providence. 

Here  he  found  that  favour  among  the  savages  which 
christians  had  denied  him.  Many  of  his  friends  and  ad- 
herents soon  repaired  to  his  new  habitation.  He  had  the 
happiness  to  gain  the  friendship  of  two  powerful  Narragan- 
set  princes,  of  whom  he  made  a  formal  purchase  of  a  terri- 
tory sufficient  for  himself  and  friends.  He  soon  acquired  a 
sufficient  knowledge  of  the  Indian  language  to  transact  the 
affairs  of  trade  and  negociation,  and  perhaps  no  man  ever 
had  more  influence  over  the  savage  tribes  than  Roger  Wil- 
liams. This  influence  enabled  him  to  soothe  the  irritated 
Indian  Chiefs,  and  break  up  their  confederacies  against 
the  English.  And  the  first  act  of  this  kind  was  perform- 
ed in  favour  of  the  colony  from  which  he  had  been  so  era- 
elly  banished. 

The  first  deed  which  he  obtained  of  his  lands,  or  at 
least  the  first  which  is  now  extant,  bears  date  the  same 
day  with  that  of  Aquidneck,  and  was  given  two  years  after 
his  settlement  at  Providence.  It  runs  in  the  following 
style  : 

"  At  Nanhiggansick,  the  24th  of  the  first  month,  commonly  called 
March,  in  the  second  year  of  our  plantation,  or  planting  at  Moos- 
haiisick,  or  Providence  :    Memorandum,  that  we  Caunannicus  and 

*  Vol.  5,  p,  rZ: 


456  Mr.  TFilliams  admits  tivehe  Associates. 

Miantinomu,  the  two  chief  sachems  of  Nanhiggansick,  having  two 
years  since  sold  unto  Roger  Williams  the  lands  and  meadows  upon 
the  two  fresh  rivers  called  Mooshausick  and  Wanaskatuckett,  do  now 
by  these  presents  establish  and  confirm  the  bounds  of  these  landsjfrom 
the  rivers  and  fields  of  Pautuckett,  the  great  hill  of  Neoterconkenitt 
on  the  north-west,  and  the  town  of  Mashapauge  on  the  west.  As  also, 
in  consideration  of  the  many  kindnesses  and  services  he  hath  contin- 
ually done  for  us,  both  for  our  friends  of  Massachusetts,  as  also  at 
Quininkticutt  and  Apaum,  or  Plymouth  ;  we  do  freely  give  unto 
him  all  that  land  from  those  rivers  reaching  to  Pautuxett  river,  as 
also  the  grass  and  meadows  upon  Pautuxett  river;*  in  witness  whereof 
we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands  in  the  presence  of. 

The  mark  of ;{:  Caunannicus, 
The  mark  of  11  Miantinomu. 

The  mark  of  f  Seatagh, 

The  mark  of*  Assotemewett. 

**  1639,  Memorandum,  3d  month,  9th  day,  this  was  all  again  con- 
firraed  by  Miantinomu  ;  he  acknowledged  this  his  act  and  hand  ; 
up  the  stream  of  Pautuckett  and  Pautuxett  without  limits  we  might 
have  for  our  use  of  cattle  ;    witness  hereof, 

Roger  Williams, 
Benedict    Arnold." 

This  deed  must  have  comprehended  all  the  county  of 
Providence,  or  the  north  part  of  the  State,  and  most  of  the 
county  of  Kent. 

A  few  months  after  this  purchase  was  made,  Mr.  Wil- 
liams admitted  as  his  associates  the  persons  afterwards 
named  by  tiie  follo^ving  instrument  : 

"  Providence,  8th  of  the  8th  month,  lC38,  (so  called.)  Memoran- 
dum, that  I,  Roger  Williams,  having  formerly  purchased  of  Cau- 
nannicus and  Miantinomu  this  our  situation  or  plantation  of  New- 
Providence,  &c.  the  two  fresh  rivers  of  Wanasquatuckett  and  3Ioo- 
shausick,  and  the  ground  and  meadows  thereupon  ;  in  consideration 
of  thirty  pounds  received  from  the  inhabitants  of  said  place,  do  free- 
ly and  fully  pass,  grant,  and  makeover  equal  right  and  power  of  en- 
joying and  disposing  of  the  same  grounds  and  lands  unto  my  loving 
friends  and  neighbours,  Stukely  Westcoat,  William  Arnold,  Thom- 
as James,  Robert  Cole,  John  Greene,  John  Throckmorton,  Wil- 
liam Harris,  William  Carpenter,  Thomas  OIney,  Francis  Weston, 
Richard  Waterman,  Ezekiel  Holliman,  and  such  others  as  the  ma- 
jor part  of  us  shall  admit  into  the  same  fellowship  of  vote  with   us  : 

•  The  Mooshausick  river  empties  into  Providence  cove  from  the  north,  a 
little  belowlhe  Mill  Bride^c  ;  the  Wanaskatuckett  is  that  on  which  Olney's  Pa- 
per Mills  are  sitnuted.  The  Pawtiicket  river  rises  in,  or  near  Rutland  in  Wor. 
cester  county,  Massachusetts,  and  empties  into  the  Narraganset  Bav  at  India 
Point,  Providence.  The  Pawtnxet  rises  near  the  borders  of  Connecticut,  and 
fails  into  the  Bay  five  miles  below  the  town.  On  the  fields  of  Pawtucket  the 
author  is  now  writing',  but  he  is  not  sure  where  the  town  of  Mashapauge  stood. 


His  Design  in  founding  the  Colony  explained,         457 

As  also  I  do  freely  make  and  pass  over  equal  right  and  power  of  en- 
jo\ing  and  disposing  of  the  lands  and  grounds  reaching  from  the 
aforesaid  rivers  unto  the  great  river  Pautuxett,  with  the  grass  and 
meadows  thereupon,  which  was  so  latelj'  given  and  granted  by  the 
aforesaid  sachems  to  me  ;  witness  my  hand, 

ROGER  WILLIAMS." 

The  next  wlio  were  admitted  into  this  company,  were 
Chad  Brown,  William  Field,  Thomas  Harris,  William 
Wickenden,  Robert  Williams,  brother  to  Roger,  Richard 
Scott,  William  Reynolds,  John  P'ield,  John  Warner, 
Thomas  Angell,  Benedict  Arnold,  Joshua  Winsor,  Thom- 
as Hopkins,  Francis  Weeks,  kc* 

The  following  passage  explains,  in  a  very  pleasing  man- 
ner,  Mr.  Williams'  design  in  these  transactions  : 

*'  Notwithstanding  I  had  the  frequent  promise  of  Miantinomu,  my 
kind  friend,  that  it  should  not  be  land  that  I  should  want  about  those 
bounds  mentioned,  provided  that  I  satisfied  the  Indians  there  inhab- 
iting, 1  having  made  covenant  of  peaceable  neighbourhood  with  all 
the  sachems  and  natives  round  about  us,  and  having,  in  a  sense  of 
God's  merciful  promdence  unto  me  in  my  distress,  called  the  place 
Providence,  I  desirexl  it  might  be  for  a  shelter  for  persons  distress- 
ed for  conscience;  I  then  considering  the  condition  of  divers  of  my 
GOiintrymen,  I  communicated  my  said  purchase  unto  my  loving 
fiieads,  John  Throckmorton,  and  others,  who  then  desired  to  take 
shelter  here  with  me.  And  whereas  by  God's  merciful  assistance  1 
was  the  procurer  of  the  purchase,  not  by  monies  nor  payment,  the 
jiatives  being  so  shy  and  jealous  that  monies  could  not  do  it,  but  by 
that  language,  acquaintance  and  favour  with  the  natives,  and  other 
advantages  which  it  pleased  God  to  give  me  ;  and  also  bore  the 
charges  and  venture  of  all  the  gratuities  which  I  gave  to  the  great 
sachems,  and  other  sachems  and  natives  round  about  us,  and  lay 
engaged  for  a  loving  and  peaceable  neighbourhood  with  them,  to  my 
great  charge  and  travel  ;  it  was  therefore  thought  fit  that  I  should 
receive  some  consideration  and  gratuity."  Thus,  after  mentioning 
the  said  thirty  pounds,  and  saying,  "  this  sum  [  received  ;  and  in 
love  to  my  friends,  and  with  respect  to  a  town  and  place  of  succour 
for  the  distressed  as  aforesaid,  I  do  acknowledge  this  said  sum  and 
payment  a  full  satisfaction  ;"    he  went  on  in  full  and  strong  terms 

•  "  Of  these  I  find  Williams  (brother  lo  Mr.  Roger)  among  the  Massa- 
chusetts freemen,  but  no  more  of  their  names  upon  those  records.  Perhaps 
most  of  them  might  have  newly  arrived  ;  for  Governor  Winthrop  assures  us, 
that  no  less  than  three  thousand  arrived  this  year  in  twenty  ships  ;  and  Mr, 
Hubbard  tells  us  that  those,  who  inclined  to  the  Baptists'  principles,  went  to 
Providence  ;  others  went  to  Newport.  Seven  of  the  first  twelve,  with  An. 
gell,  I  suppose  began  the  settlement  with  Mr.  Williams  in  1636." 

VOL.    I.  53 


458       T^he  Settlement  of  Aqiiidneck  on  Rhode-Island, 

to  confirm  those  lands  to  said  inhabitants  ;  reserving  no  more  to 
himself  and  his  heirs  than  an  equal  share  with  the  rest  ;  his  wife  also 
signing  the  deed.* 

The  settlement  of  Aquidneck  was  begun  in  the  following 
manner :  Soon  after  the  banishment  of  R.  Williams,  the  col- 
ony of  Massachusetts  was  most  violently  agitated  by  relig- 
ious  discords,  and  a  synod  held  at  Newton,  now  Cam- 
bridge, after  due  examination,  found  to  their  grief,  that 
their  country  was  infested  with  no  less  than  eighty-two 
heretical  opinions,  which  were  all  arraigned  before  the 
sapient  ecclesiastical  tribunal,  and  solemily  condemned. 
Rev.  Mr.  Whellwright,  and  Mrs.  Ann  Hutchinson,  both 
Pedobaptists,  were  banished  the  jurisdiction  for  what  was 
called  Antinomianism,  and  others  were  exposed  to  a  sim- 
ilar fate.  Mr.  John  Clark,  an  eminent  physician,  made  a 
proposal  to  his  friends  to  remove  out  of  a  jurisdiction  so 
full  of  bigotry  and  intolerance.  Mr.  Clark  was  now  in 
the  29th  year  of  his  age  ;  he  was  requested  with  some 
others  to  look  out  for  a  place,  where  they  might  enjoy  un- 
molested the  sweets  of  religious  freedom.  By  reason  of 
the  suffocating  heat  of  the  preceding  summer,  they  first 
went  north  to  a  place  which  is  now  within  the  bounds  of 
New  Hampshire,  but  on  account  of  the  coldness  of  the 
following  winter,  they  resolved  in  the  spring  to  make  to- 
wards the  south.  "  So  having  sought  the  Lord  for  direc- 
tion, they  agreed  that  while  their  vessel  was  passing  about 
Cape  Cod,  they  would  cross  over  by  land,  having  Long- 
Island  and  Delaware  Bay  in  their  eye,  for  the  place  of  their 
residence.  At  Providence  Mr.  Williams  lovingly  enter- 
tained them,  and  being  consulted  about  their  design,  readi- 
ly presented  two  places  before  them  ;  Sowams,  now  called 
Barrington,  and  Aquetneck,  now  Rhode  Island.  And 
inasmuch  as  they  were  determined  to  go  out  of  every 
other  jurisdiction,  Mr.  Williams  and  Mr.  Clark,  at- 
tended with  two  other  persons,  went  to  Plymouth,  to  in- 
quire how  the  case  stood  ;  they  were  lo\  ingly  received, 
and  answered,  that  Sowams  was  iht  gcwdcn  of  their  patent. 
But  they  were  advised  to  settle  at  Aquetneck,  and  prom- 
ised to  be  looked  on  as  free,  and  to  be  treated  and  assist- 
ed as  loving  neighbours."! 

•  Backus  Vol.  I.  p.  94. 
t  Backus'  Hist.  vol.  1,  p.  89.  Callendei's  Century  sermon,  p.  30. 


WiUiams''s  Account  of  the  Purchase  ofR.  Island.    459 

On  their  return,  the  7th  of  March,  1638,  the  men,  to 
the  number  of  eighteen,  incorporated  themselves  a  body 
poUiic,  and  chose  WiUiam  Coddington  their  judge  or  chief 
magistrate.  The  names  of  these  men  were  William  Cod- 
dington, John  Clarke,  William  Hutchinson,  John  Coggs- 
hall,  William  Aspinivall,  Thomas  Salvage,  William  Dyre, 
William  Freeborne,  Philip  Shearman,  John  Walker, 
Richard  Carder,  William  Baulstone,  Edward  Hutchinson ^ 
Edward  Hutchinson,  jiin.  Samuel  Wilbore,  John  San  ford, 
John  Porter,  and  Henry  Bull.  Those,  whose  names  are 
in  italicks,  afterwards  went  back  to  Massachusetts  ;  most 
of  the  others  arose  to  eminence  in  the  colony,  which  they 
establibhed. 

"  It  was  not  price  or  money,"  says  Mr.  Williams, 
**  that  could  have  purchased  Rhode-Island  ;  but  'twas 
obtained  by  love,  that  love  and  favour,  which  that  hon- 
oured gentleman,  Sir  Henry  Vane,  and  myself  had  with 
the  great  sachem  Myantonomo,  about  the  league,  which  I 
procured  between  the  Massachusetts  English,  and  the 
Narragansets  in  the  Peqiiot  ivar.  This  I  mention,  that  as 
the  truly  noble  Sir  Henry  Vane,  hath  been  so  great  an  in- 
strument in  the  hand  of  God,  for  procuring  this  island  of 
the  barbarians,  as  also  for  the  procuring  and  confirming 
the  Charter,  it  may  be  with  all  thankful  acknowledg- 
ments recorded  and  remembered  by  us  and  ours,  who 
reap  the  sweet  fruits  of  so  great  benefits,  and  such  unheard 
of  liberties  among  us."  And  in  another  manuscript  he 
tells  us,  "  The  Indians  were  very  shy  and  jealous  of  selling 
the  lands  to  any,  and  chose  rather  to  make  a  gram  qfthem^ 
to  such  as  they  affected  ;  but  at  the  same  time,  expected 
such  gratuities  and  rewards,  as  made  an  Indian  gift  oi- 
tentimes  a  very  dear  bargain."  "  And  the  colony  in 
1666,"  says  Mr.  Callender,  "  avered  that  though  the  fa- 
vour Mr.  Williams  had  with  Myantonomo  was  the  great 
means  of  procuring  the  grants  of  the  land,  yet  the  pur- 
chase had  been  dearer  than  of  any  lands  in  New-England ; 
the  reason  of  which  might  be,  partly,  the  English  inhabit- 
ed between  two  powerful  nations,  the  Wamponoags  to 
the  north  and  east,  who  had  formerly  possessed  some 
part  of  their  grants,  before  they  had  surrendered  it  to  the 
Narragansets  ;  and  though  they  freely  owned  the  submis- 
sion, yet  it-  was  thought  best  by  Mr.  Williams  to  make 


46(5        Gorton  and  his  Company  settle  at  Paiutuxet^ 

them  easy  by  gratuities  to  the  sachem,  his  counsellors 
and  followers.  On  the  other  side  the  Narragansets  were 
very  rMimerous,  and  the  natives  inhabiting  any  spot  the 
English  sat  down  upon  or  improved,  were  all  to  be  bought 
ofF to  their  content,  and  oftentimes  wcie  to  be  paid  over 
and  over  again.* 

The  colony  of  Rhode- Island  was  small,  and  laboured 
under  many  embarrassments.  In  an  address  to  the  su- 
preme authority  in  England,  in  1659,  they  gave  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  their  circumstances  :  "  This  poor 
colony  consists  mostly  of  a  Birth  and  Breeding  of  the 
Most  High.  We  being  an  outcast  people,  formerly  from 
our  mother-nation  in  the  bishop's  days,  and  since  from  the 
New- English  over-zealous  colonies.  Our  whole  frame 
being  much  like  the  present  frame  of  our  dearest  mother 
England  ;  bearing  with  the  several  judgments,  and  con- 
sciences of  each  other,  in  all  the  towns  of  the  colony  ; 
which  our  neighbour  colonies  do  not  ;  and  which  is  the 
only  cause  of  their  great  offence  against  us." 

A  third  settlement  was  made  below  Providence  on  the 
western  shore  of  the  Narraganset  Bay,  by  Samuel  Gorton, 
and  his  company.  This  company  suffered  for  a  time 
most  severely  by  the  officious  and  unrighteous  interfer- 
ence of  the  Massachusetts  and  Plymouth  rulers.  Gorton 
was  a  very  different  character  from  either  Williams  or 
Clark,  but  he  was  a  zealous  advocate  for  liberty  of  con- 
science, and  sought  an  asylum  where  he  might  enjoy  it. 
He  was  a  man  of  learning  and  abilities,  but  of  a  satyrical, 
crusty  turn  ;  he  was  also  a  preacher,  but  of  a  very  singu- 
lar cast.  He  arrived  in  Boston  in  1636,  which  place  he 
in  a  short  time  left  for  Plymouth.  Tl^re  he  soon  fell  out 
with  their  preacher,  was  taken  in  hand  by  the  authority, 
and  bonds  were  required  of  him  for  his  good  behaviour. 
From  Plymouth  he  went  to  Rhode-Island,  where,  for 
something  in  his  conduct,  what  I  cannot  learn,  he  was,  by 
Mr.  Coddington's  order,  roughly  treated,  and  according 
to  Callender's  account  banished  the  Island.  He  next 
went  to  Providence,  where  he  was  kindly  received  by 
Mr.  Williams  and  others,  and  he  with  others  soon  settled 
at  Pawtuxet,  which  was  within  the  bounds  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liams'  grant.     But  here  new  troubles  followed  him,  con- 

*  Century  Sermon,  p.  cl,  S2. 


And  treated  in  a  most  scandalous  Manner,        461 

tentions  were  fomented  amons:  his  company,  the  weaker 
party  sought  assistance  from  the  men  of  Boston,  and  some 
of  them  actually  submitted  themselves  and  their  lands  to 
that  government.  The  Boston  court  had  then  a  specious 
pretext  for  meddling  with  the  affairs  of  an  infant  distant  colo- 
ny, and  they  having  learnt  the  peculiar  policy  of  the  cabinet 
of  their  mother  country,  to  foment  quarrels  and  then  profit 
bv  them,  cited  Gorton  and  his  associates  to  appear  at 
their  tribunal,  and  answer  to  the  complaints  which  had 
been  exhibited  against  them.  The  warrant  was  signed 
by  the  Governor  and  three  assistants  ;  but  Gorton  treated 
it  with  disdain,  and  in  answer  wrote  a  long,  mystical  par- 
aphrase upon  it,  which  was  si^^ned  by  himself,  Randal 
Holden,  Robert  Potter,  John  Wickes,  John  Warner, 
Richard  Waterman,  William  Woodale,  John  Greene, 
Francis  Weston,  Richard  Carder,  Nicholas  Power,  and 
Sampson  Shatton.  It  appears  these  people,  in  order  to 
avoid  further  troubles,  removed  southward  to  a  place  then 
called  Shawwomet,  now  Warwick,  which  they  purchased 
of  the  sachems,  Miantinomy,*  Pomham,  and  others,  for 
144  fathoms  of  wampum.f 

But  new  complaints  soon  went  to  Boston  against  them> 
and  the  petty  sachems  under  Miantinomy  and  Pomham, 
for  political  reasons,  were  easily  induced  to  become  their 
enemies  and  accusers,  and  they  were  again  summoned  to 
appear  before  the  Massachusetts  rulers.  And  upon  .their 
refusal,  because  out  of  their  jurisdiction,  a  company  of 
armed  men  were  sent  to  fetch  them.  They  sent  word  to 
the  company  that  if  they  set  foot  upon  their  land,  it  should 
be  at  their  peril.  But  a  band  of  soldiers  marched  on,  the 
women  and  children,  and  some  of  the  less  resolute,  were 
terrified  and  dispersed,  and  the  rest,  being  overpowered  by 
numbers,  were  carried  to  Boston,  where  they  were  treated 
in  a  severe  and  scandalous  manner.  Gorton,  for  being  a 
blasphemous  enemy  of  the  religion  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  &c.  was  confined  to  Charlestown,  set  to  hard 
work,  loaded  with  bolts  and  irons  to  hinder  his  escape  ; 
and  in  case  he  should  break  his  confinement,  and  in  the 

•  The  name  of  this  famous  Indian  chief  is  spelt  many  different  ways,  but 
Myantinomy  seems  the  most  proper,  and  according  to  Mr.  Callender  it  was 
by  the  Indians  pronounced  Myantino^my.  Cent.  Ser.p.  1. 

■\  This  was  then  computed  9X  forty  pvund^  sixteen  shillings  sterling-.  Racku- 


462         Reflections  on  the  Sufferings  of  Gorton,  fcfc. 

mean  time  publish,  declare,  or  maintain  his  blasphemous 
abominable  herebies,  wherewith  he  had  been  charged  by 
the  court,  alter  due  conviction,  he  should  be  condemned 
and  executed.  John  Wickes  was  confined  to  Ipswich, 
Randal  Holden  to  Salem,  Robert  Potter  to  Bc;verly,  Rich- 
ard Carder  to  Roxbury,  Francis  Western  to  Dorchester, 
John  Warner  to  Boston,  and  William  Woodale  to  Water- 
town.  John  Green,  Richard  Waterman,  and  Nicholas 
Pou  er,  not  being  found  so  guilty  as  the  rest,  were  dis- 
missed after  paymg  costs  and  hearing  an  admonition. 
The  rest  were  confined  at  their  different  stations  through 
the  \\  inter,  eighty  head  of  their  cattle  were  sold  to  pay  the 
charges  of  bringing  them  from  their  homes,  and  trying 
them  before  a  foreign  tribunal,  which  amounted  to  a  hun- 
dred and  sixty  pounds.  But  the  court,  finding  it  impos- 
sible to  keep  them  from  seducing  others,  and  despairing 
of  reclaiming  them  from  their  errors,  in  the  spring  releas- 
ed them,  and  banished  them,  not  only  from  their  jurisdic- 
tion, but  also  from  their  own  lands  at  Showwomet-*' 
This  detestable  tyranny  came  of  Mr.  Cotton's  Jewish 
theocracy,  ai.d  it  is  a  lamentable  fact,  that  that  mistaken 
divine  encouraged  the  court  in  this  horrid  oppression  of 
Gorton  and  his  unfortunate  associates.  Some  of  them 
were,  at  that  very  time,  members  of  the  church  at  Provi- 
dence ;  they  had  associated  with  Gorton,  not  on  account 
of  hi§  religious  opinions,  but  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
lands  on  which  they  might  procure  a  subsistence  for 
themselves  and  families.  But  if  Gorton  had  been  that 
blasphemous,  damnable  heretick,  which  his  orthodox 
persecuters  pretended  ;  if  he  had  worshipped  the  sun, 
moon  and  stars  ;  what  right  did  that  give  the  Boston 
rulers  to  treat  him  and  his  company  in  such  an  outrageous 
manner  ? 

These  much  injured  men,  being  prohibited  on  pain  of 
death  to  go  to  their  lands,  repaired  to  Rhode-Island,  where 
they  tarried  awhile  meditating  what  course  to  take. 

As  yet  none  of  the  companies  of  this  colony  had  any- 
patent  from  the  crown  for  their  lands  ;  but  they  had  all 
pui  chased  them  of  the  Indians,  their  proper  owners,  and 
therefore  ought  to  have  been  sufiered  peaceably  to  enjo}'" 
them. 

•  Backus,  vol.1,  p.  126— 129. 


Mr.  Williams  obtains  a  Charter,  in  1644.  463 

About  the  time  that  Gorton  and  his  company  were  re- 
leased, that  is,  in  1643,  Mr.  VViUiams  was  sent  to  England 
as  agent  for  the  two  colonies  of  Providence  and  Rhode- Isl- 
and, and  by  the  assistance  of  Sir  Henry  Vane,  obtained 
*'  a  free  and  absolute  Charter  of  Civil  Incorporation,  by 
the  name  of  the  Incorporation  of  Promdence  Plantations  in 
the  Narraganset  Bay^  in  Neiio- England.''^  This  charter 
was  dated  the  17th  of  March,  in  the  19th  year  of  Charles 
I.  1644.  It  was  obtained  of  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  who 
was  then  appointed  by  Parliament,  Governor  and  Admiral 
of  all  the  plantations,  &c.  and  was  signed  by  him  and  ten 
other  noblemen  his  council.  It  empowered  them  to  rule 
themselves  and  such  others  as  should  inhabit  within  their 
bounds  by  such  a  form  of  civil  government  as  by  the  vol- 
untary agreement  of  all  or  of  the  greater  part  should  be 
found  most  suitable  to  their  estate  and  condition,  Sec. 

Mr.  Williams  returned  with  this  charter  the  September 
following,  and  landed  at  Boston. 

As  persons  of  many  dift'erent  sentiments  and  tempers 
had  resorted  to  this  now  asylum  of  freedom,  it  was  a  mat- 
ter of  some  difficulty  to  fix  upon  a  form  of  government,  in 
which  they  could  be  united.  But  this  desirable  object  was, 
not  long  after  effected,  and  no  event  seems  to  have  occurr- 
ed, except  what  are  common  to  the  first  efforts  of  new 
plantations,  until  1651,  when  a  very  serious  difficulty  arose, 
which  from  the  name  of  its  author,  was  called  Coddington'' s 
Obstruction.  But  before  we  proceed,  it  is  proper  to  ob- 
serve, that  not  long  after  Mr.  Williams  went  to  Englaiid, 
Messrs.  Gorton,  Greene,  and  Holden,  set  sail  for  the  same 
country,  and  obtained  an  order  to  be  suffered  peaceibly 
to  possess  their  purchase  at  Showowmet.  By  this  means 
the  claims  of  the  Massachusetts  court  were  defeated.  As 
Mr.  Williams's  Charter  covered  their  purchase,  it  was  in- 
corporated with  the  Providence  Plantations,  and  as  the 
Earl  of  Warwick  was  their  peculiar  friend  in  this  affair, 
they,  for  that  reason,  gave  their  settlement  the  name  of 
Warwick,  and  the  posterity  of  its  planters  are  still  numer- 
ous in  different  parts  of  the  State.  Callender,  Backus,  and 
others,  who  have  spoken  of  Gorton's  religious  opinions, 
acknowledge  that  it  is  hard  to  tell  v,^hat  they  really  were  ; 
but  they  assure  us  that  it  ought  to  be  believed,  that  he 
held  all  the  heresies  which  were  ascribed  to  him.     The 


464    WilUams  £i?  Clark  go  to  England.., Secojid  Charter. 

most  we  can  learn  is,  that  in  allegory,  and  double  meanings 
of  scripture,  he  was  similar  to  Origen  ;  in  mystical  theolo- 
gy and  the  rejection  of  ordinances,  he  resembled  the  Qua- 
kers ;  and  the  notion  of  visible  instituted  churches  he  ut- 
terly condemned.  He  was  the  leader  of  a  religious  meet- 
ing at  Warwick  above  sixty  years,  and  says  he  made  use 
of  the  learned  languages  in  expounding  the  Scriptures  to 
his  hearers.  He  was  of  a  good  family  in  England,  lived 
to  a  great  age,  was  promoted  to  honour  in  the  Rhode-Isl- 
and Colony,  and  left  behind  him  many  disciples  to  his  non- 
descript opinions.  Some  of  his  posterity  have  been  found 
among  the  Baptists,  some  among  the  Quakers,  but  the 
greater  part  of  them  are  what  Morse  would  call  Nothinga- 
rians. But  all  of  them  still  retain  a  lively  abhorrence  of 
tl^at  religious  tyranny,  by  which  he  was  so  cruelly  op- 
pressed. ^•■ 

The  Charter  obtained  by  Roger  Williams  in  1644,  last- 
ed until  1663,   when  another  was  granted  by  Charles  II; 
by  which  the  incorporation  was  styled  "  The  English  Colo- 
ny of  Rhode- Island  and  Providence  Plantations  in  New- 
England."     This  Charter,  without  any  essential  alteration, 
has  remained  the  foundation  of  the  Rhode-Island  govern- 
ment ever  since.     Previous  to  its  being  obtained,  that  is, 
rn  1651,  Messrs.   Williams  and  Clark  were  sent  to  Eng- 
land as  agents  for  the  Colony,  which  then  consisted  of  on- 
ly the  four  towns  of  Providence,   Portsmouth,   Newport, 
and  Warwick.     The  object  of  their  embassy  was  to  re- 
move the  obstructions  which  had  been  thrown  in  the  way 
of  their  progress  by  William  Coddington,   then  Govern - 
our  of  their  infant  settlement.       This  gentleman  had,  as 
they  said,   "  by  most    imtrue  information,"   obtained   a 
commission  of  the  Conned  of  State ^  to  govern  a  part  of  the 
colony,  that  is,  the  Island,  with  such  a  council  as  the  peo- 
ple should  choose,  and  he  approve.     This  they  considered 
as  *'a  violation  of  their  liberties,"  &c,  and  by  the  exertions 
of  these  agents  the  commission  was  vacated,  and  the  ad- 
ministration progressed  in  the  original  form.     Mr.  Wil- 
liams soon  returned,   but  Mr.  Clark  remained  in  England 
about  twelve  years,  to  watch  the  motion  of  affairs,  and  to 
be  ready  to  lend  his  assistance  to  his  brethren  here  as  emer- 
gencies should  require. 

•  Callender's  Century  Sermon,  p.  37,  38.— Backus,  vol.  ii.  p.  95. 


Form  of  Government  among  the  Rhode- Islanders.      465 

The  form  of  government  established  by  the  Rhode- 
Islanders  was,  as  to  civil  affairs,  much  like  those  of  the 
other  colonies,  but  ia  the  important  artile  of  religion, 
they  differed  from  them  all.  Liberty  of  conscience  was, 
in  the  first  social  compact  at  Providence,  established  by 
law,  and  no  one  was  allowed  to  vote  among  them,  who 
opposed  it.*  This  darling  principle  was  planted  in  the 
soil  of  Rhode-Island,  before  the  red  men  left  it,  or  ever 
the  lofty  forests  were  laid  waste,  and  has  been  transmitted 
from  father  to  son  with  the  most  studious  care  ;  it  was 
interwoven  in  every  part  of  the  State  Constitution,  has  ex- 
tended its  influence  to  all  transactions,  whether  civil  or 
sacred,  and  in  no  part  of  the  world  has  it  been  more  invio- 
lably maintained  for  the  space  of  upwards  of  a  hundred  and 
seventy  years.  It  is  the  glory  and  boast  of  Rhode-island, 
that  no  one  within  her  bounds  was  ever  legally  molested 
on  account  of  his  rehgious  opinions,  and  that  none  of  her 
annals  are  stained  with  acts  to  regulate  tho^e  important 
concerns,  which  lie  wholly  between  man  and  his  Maker. 
Hence  it  was  early  said  of  this  colony,  "  They  are  much 
like  their  neighbours,  only  they  have  one  vice  less,  and 
one  virtue  more  than  they  ;  for  they  never  persecuted 
any,  but  have  ever  maintained  a  perfect  liberty  of 
conscience."* 

They,  among  their  first  Legislative  acts,  (instead  of 
establishing  their  own  religion  by  law,  and  compelling  all 
others  to  maintain  it)  determined  that  "  Every  man,  who 
submits  peaceably  to  civil  government  in  this  colony, 
shall  ^vorship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  own 
conscience  without  molestation."  And  when  in  1656, 
the  colonies  of  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  Hartford,  and 
New-Haven,  pressed  them  hard  to  give  up  this  point,  and 
join  with  them  to  crush  the  Quakers,  and  prevent  any 
more  from  coming  to  New-England,  they,  for  an  answer, 
made  the  noble  declaration,  "  We  shall  strictly  adhere  to 
the  foundation  principle  on  which  this  colony  was  first  set- 
tled," &:c.  Accordingly,  the  Quakers  found  a  safe  asy- 
lum here,  while  they  were  in  all  places  persecuted  and 
destroyed. 

*   Backus,  vol.  I,  p.  96- 
t  Edwards'  MS.  Hist,  of  Rhode-Island,  p.  10 

VOL.   r.  59 


466      Rhode -Islanders  attached  to  Religious  Freedom. 

When  these  people  obtained  their  second  Charter  in 
1663,  they  petitioned  Charles  II.  "  that  they  might  be 
permitted  to  hold  forth  a  lively  experiment,  that  a  most 
flourishing  civil  State  may  stand  and  best  be  maintained, 
and  that  among  English  subjects,  with  a  full  liberty  in 
religious  concernments,  and  that  true  piety,  rightly  ground- 
ed on  gospel  principles,  will  give  the  best  and  greatest  se- 
curity to  sovereignty  ;  and  will  lay  in  the  hearts  of  men 
the  strongest  obligations  to  true  loyalty." — This  permis- 
sion was  granted  by  his  majesty,  and  the  tenor  of  their 
Charter  was,  that  every  person  might  freely  and  fully 
have  and  enjoy  his  own  judgment  or  conscience  in  matters 
of  religious  concernment,  &c.  The  inviolable  attachment 
of  the  Rhode-Islanders  to  this  heaven-born  principle  of 
Religious  Freedom,  was  the  real  cause  of  all  those  calum- 
nies and  injuries  which  the  other  colonies  heaped  upon 
them.  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  on  either  side  of 
them,  were  now  making  strong  exertions  to  enforce  their 
religious  laws,  and  could  not  endure  the  maxims  of  this 
little  colony,  which  were  a  tacit  and  standing  condemna- 
tion of  their  bigotry  and  intolerance.  They  therefore 
stretched  their  lines  if  possible  to  swallow  up  the  little 
State,  and  Massachusetts  actually  took  possession  of  a 
large  share  of  it  one  side,  and  Connecticut  on  the  other ; 
but  failing  of  their  design  on  this  plan,  they  encouraged 
the  Indians  to  harass  them  to  the  loss  of  80  or  100  pounds 
a  year;  they  refused  to  let  them  have  ammunition  for  their 
money  when  in  imminent  danger  ;  they  fomented  divisions 
among  them,  and  encouraged  their  subjects  to  refuse 
obedience  to  their  authority  ;  they  finally  laboured  hard, 
after  they  could  not  dismember  the  colony,  to  gain  a 
party  within  its  bounds,  of  sufficient  strength  to  outvote 
them  in  their  elections,  and  establish  among  them  their 
abominable  system  of  parish  worship,  and  parish  taxes. 
Their  letter  writers,  preachers,  and  historians,  calumniat- 
ed them  as  "  the  scum  and  runaways  of  other  colonies, 
Avhich,  in  time,  would  bring  a  heavy  burden  on  the  land  : 
as  so  sunk  into  barbarity,  that  they  could  speak  neither 
good  English  nor  good  sense — as  despisers  of  God's 
worship,   and   without  order  or  government,"  &c.*'     Dr. 

•  Edwards'  MS.  Hist,  of  Rhode-Islana,  p.  12,  13.— Backus,  vol  I.— MS.  of 
Governor  Jenks. 


A  Letter  from  the  Massachusetts  Ministers,       467 

Mather,*  speaking  of  this  State  about  a  hundred  years 
ago,  says,  "  It  has  been  a  CoUuvies  of  Aiitinomians, 
Familists,  Anabaptists,  Antisabbatarians,  Arminians,  So- 
cinians,  Quakers,  Ranters,  every  thing  in  the  world  but 
Roman  Cathohcks  and  real  christians,  though  of  the  latter, 
I  hope,  there  have  been  more  than  the  former  among 
them  ;  so  that  if  a  man  had  lost  his  religion,  he  might 
fird  it  at  this  general  muster  of  Opinionists."  He  goes 
CI.  lo  describe  it  as  the  Gerizzini  of  New-England,  the 
common  receptacle  of  the  convicts  of  Jerusalem,  and  the 
outcasts  of  the  land.  "  The  Island,"  says  he,  "is  in- 
deed for  the  fertility  of  its  soil,  the  temperateness  of  its 
air,  &c.  the  best  garden  of  all  the  colonies,  and  were  it  free 
from  serpents,  I  would  call  it  the  Paradise  of  New- Eng- 
land." B-it  he  finally  applies  to  it  the  old  proverb.  Bona 
Terra^  Mala  Gens,  a  good  land,  but  a  bad  people.  This 
is  but  a  part  of  a  long  reviling  piece  of  the  same  charac- 
ter. Among  other  things  he  informs  us,  tliat  the  Massa- 
chusetts ministers  had  made  a  charge/ess  tender  of  preach- 
ing the  gospel  to  this  wretched  people  in  their  towns 
and  on  their  paganizifig  plantations  ;  but  these  offers  had 
been  refused. 

The  two  following  letters  will  give  the  reader  to  under- 
stand the  manner  in  which  these  chargeless  tenders  were 
made,  and  also  in  what  point  of  light  the  Rhode- Island 
people  viewed  them.  The  first  is  from  an  Association  of 
the  Massachusetts  ministers  ;  the  other  from  the  people 
of  Providence  : 

"  To  the  honourable  Joseph  Jenckes,  Esq.  late  Deputy-Governor ^ 
fVilliam  Hopkins,  Esq.  Major  Joseph  Willson,  Esq.  Joseph 
Whipple,  Esq.    Col.  Richard  Waterman,   Esq.    Arther  Fenner, 

Esq.  Wilkinson,    Esq.    Philip   T'llinghast,   Esq.     Capt. 

Nicholas  Power,  Esq.  Thomas  Harris,  Esq.  Capt.  William. 
Harris,  Esq.  Andrew  Harris,  Esq. Brown,  Esq.  Jona- 
than Burton,  Esq.  Jonathan  Spreauge,  Jun.  Esq.  and  to  the 
other  eminent  men  in  the  town  of  Providence.  Pardon  our  ig- 
norance if  any  of  your  honourable  christian  names,  or  if  your 
proper  order  be  mistaken. 

"  Honourable  Gentlemen, 

We  wish  you  grace,  mercy,  and  peace,  and  all  blessings  for  time 
and  for  eternity  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  How  pleasing  to 
Almighty  God  and  our  Lord  and  Redeemer,  and  how  conducible  to 

•  Magnalia,  Book  VIII.  p.  20. 


468        A  Letter  from  the  Massachusetts  Ministers* 

the  publick  tranquillity  and  safety,  an  hearty  union  and  good  affection 
of  all  pious  protestants,  of  whatever  particular  denomination,  on  ac- 
count of  some  difference  in  opinion,  would  be,  by  the  divine  blessing, 
yourselves,  as  well  as  we,  are  not  insensible  of.  And  with  what  peace 
and  love,  societies  of  different  modes  of  worship  have  generally  enter- 
tained one  another  in  your  government,  we  cannot  think  of  without 
admiration.  And  we  suppose,  under  God,  'tis  owing  to  the  choice 
liberty  granted  to  protestants  of  all  persuasions  in  the  Royal  Charter 
graciously  given  you  ;*  and  to  the  wise  and  prudent  conduct  of  the 
gentlemen  that  have  been  improved  as  governors  and  justices  in  your 
colony.  And  the  Rev.  Mr.  Greenwood,  before  his  decease  at  Relio- 
both,  was  much  affected  with  the  wisdom  and  excellent  temper  and 
great  canlour  of  such  of  yourselves  as  he  had  the  honour  to  wait  up- 
on, and  with  those  worthy  and  obliging  expressions  of  kind  respects 
he  met  with  when  he  discoursed  about  his  desire  to  make  an  experi- 
ment, whether  the  preaching  of  our  ministers  in  Providence  might 
not  be  acceptable  ;  and  whether  some,  who  do  not  greatly  incline  to 
frequent  any  pious  meeting  in  the  place,  on  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
might  not  be  drawn  to  give  their  presence  to  hear  our  ministers,  and 
so  might  be  won  over,  by  the  influence  of  Heaven,  into  serious  god- 
liness ;  and  although  God  has  taken  that  dear  brother  of  ours  from 
his  work  in  this  world,  yet  it  has  pleased  the  Lord  to  incline  some 
reverend  ministers  in  Connecticut  and  some  of  ours  to  preach  among 
you  ;  and  we  are  beholden  to  the  mercy  of  Heaven  for  the  freedom 
and  safety  they  have  enjoyed  under  the  wise  and  good  government 
of  the  place,  and  that  they  met  with  kind  respect,  and  with  numbers 
that  gave  a  kind  reception  to  their  ministration  among  you.  These 
things  we  acknowledge  with  all  thankfulness.  And  if  such  preach- 
ing should  be  continued  among  your  people,  designed  only  lor  the 
glory  of  God  and  Christ  Jesus  in  chief,  and  nextly,  for  promoting 
the  spiritual  and  eternal  happiness  of  immortal,  precious  souls,  and 
the  furtherance  of  a  joyful  account  in  the  great  day  of  judgment,  we 
earnestly  request,  as  the  Rev.  Mr.  Greenwood  in  his  life  time  did 
before  us,  that  yourselves,  according  to  your  power  and  the  influ- 
ence and  interest  that  God  hath  blessed  you  with,  will  continue  your 
just  protection  ;  and  that  you  add  such  further  countenance  and 
encouragement  thereunto  as  may  be  pleasing  to  the  eternal  God, 
and  may,  through  Christ  Jesus,  obtain  for  you  the  great  reward  in 
Heaven.  And  if  ever  it  should  come  to  pass  that  a  small  meeting- 
house should  be  built  in  your  town  to  entertain  such  as  are  willing 
"to  hear  our  ministers,  we  should  account  it  a  great  favour  if  you  all, 
Gentlemen,  or  any  of  you,  would  please  to  build  pews  therein  ;  in 
which  you  and  they  as  often  as  you  see  fit,  may  give  your  and  their 
presence  and  holy  attention.  And  we  hope  and  pray  that  ancient 
matters,  that  had  acrimony  in  thcni,  may  be  buried  in  oblivion  ; 
and  that  grace,  and  peace,  and  holiness,  and  glory,  may  dwell  in 
every  part  of  New-England  ;  and  that  the  several  provinces  an<l 
colonies  in  it  may  love  one  another  with  a  pure  heart  fervently.     So 

*  Be  U  observed  (liat  the  same  liberty  was  granted  the  Massachusetts  peo- 
ple by  their  charters  first  and  last.  Edwauds, 


Letter  ansiveyecL  469 

recommending  you  all,  and  your  ladies  and  children,  and  neigh- 
bours and  people  to  the  blessing  of  Heaven,  ana  liiirably  asking 
your  prayers  to  the  divine  throne  for  us,  we  take  leave  and  tubscribe 
ourselves  your  servants, 

PETER  THACHER, 
JOHIN  DAlNi-ORTH, 
JOSEPH  BELCHER." 

"  By  the  foregoing  paper,"  says  Edwards,  *'  which  is 
the  joint  act  of  the  Massachusetts  ministers,  it  appears 
that  the  people  of  Rhode- Island  government  were  good 
people,  even  while  the  Mathers,  their  chief  accusers,  uere 
alive.  And  if  the  x'\ssociatioii  spake  according  to  knowl- 
edge and  truth,  the  characters  in  the  Pvlagnalia  and  other 
New-England  histories  must  be  false  and  slanderous.  I 
will  here  add  the  answer  that  was  made  to  the  foregoing 
paper,  and  then  offer  two  or  three  remarks." 

'*  To  John  Davjbrth,  Pete?-  Thacher,    ajid  Joseph  Belcher,    com- 
mittee of  the  Presbyterian  Ministry. 
"  Sirs, 

We,  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Providence,  received  yours, 
bearing  date,  October  27»  17'21,  which  was  read  publickly,  in  the 
hearing  of  the  people,  and  we  judge  it  uncivil  to  return  you  no  an^ 
swer.  But  finding  the  matter  to  be  of  religious  concernment,  we 
counted  it  our  duty  to  ask  counsel  of  God,  lest  we  should  be  beguiled 
as  Israel  was  by  the  Gibeonites.  And  inasmuch  as  the  sacred  scrip- 
tures were  given  fortli  by  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  to  be  our  in- 
structer  and  counsellor,  we  shall  therefore  apply  ourselves  to  them. 
And  in  the  first  place,  we  take  notice  of  the  honourable  titles  you 
give  to  many  of  us.  Your  view,  as  we  take  it,  is  to  insinuate  your- 
selves into  our  affections,  and  to  induce  us  to  favour  your  request. 
But,  we  find  flatteries  in  matters  of  religion  to  be  of  dangerous  con- 
sequence ;  witness  the  Hivites,  who  said,  We  arc  yotir  servants,  and 
have  heard  of  the  fame  of  the  God  of  Israel.  In  this  wa\  did  Joash 
set  up  idolatry  after  the  death  of  Jehoida.  Elihu  abstained  from 
flattery  for  fear  of  off'ending  God,  while  the  enemies  of  Judah,  for 
want  of  the  fear  of  God,  practised  it.  By  the  same  means  was  Dan- 
iel cast  into  the  Lion's  den,  and  Herod  sought  to  ^lay  the  Lord  Christ; 
and  some  at  Rome  sought  to  make  divisions  in  the  church  of  Christ 
by  flattering  words  and  fair  speeches,  to  deceive  the  simple  ;  but, 
saith  the  Spirit,  Such  serve  not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  their  own 
belly  ;  and  saith  the  apostle  Peter,  Through  covetousness  and  feigned 
words  they  shall  make  merchandize  of  you.  To  conclude  this  article. 
We  see  that  flattery  in  matters  of  worship  has  been,  and  now  is,  a 
cloak  to  blind  men  and  lead  them  out  of  the  way  ;  and  serves  for 
nothing  but  to  advance  pride  and  vain  glorv.  Shall  we  praise  you 
for  this  ?  We  praise  you  not.  Next.  You  salute  all  as  saints  in  the 
faith  and  order  of  the  gospel,  wishing  all  of  us  blessings  for  the  timo 


470  Letter  answered. 

present  and  to  all  eternity.  It  is  not  the  language  of  Canaan  but  of 
Babel  to  salute  ni"n  of  all  characters  as  in  the  faith  of  the  gospel. 
This  is  the  voice  of  the  false  prophets,  which  daub  with  untempered 
mortar,  sewing  pillows  under  every  arm-hole,  and  crying,  peace  ! 
peace!  when  there  is  no  peace.  Is  this  your  way  to  enlighten  the 
dark  corners  of  the  world  ?  Surely,  this  is  darkness  itself.  Moreover, 
You  highly  extol  liberty  of  conscience  to  men  of  all  persuasions,  af- 
lirming  it  to  be  most  pleasing  to  God,  and  tending  most  to  love  and 
peace,  and  the  tranquillity  of  any  people.  And  you  say,  We  are 
not  insensible  of  this  any  more  than  you.  To  which  we  say,  Atnen  ; 
and  you  well  know  it  hath  been  our  faith  and  practice  hitherto. 
Fourthly.  We  take  notice  how  you  praise  the  love  and  peace  that 
dissenters  of  all  ranks  entertain  one  another  within  this  government ; 
and  it  is,  as  you  say,  to  your  admiration  :  and  you  suppose  that  un- 
der God,  it  is  owing  to  the  choice  liberty  granted  to  protestants  of 
all  denoviinations  in  the  Roi/al  Charter  graciously  given  tis,  and  to 
the  discreet  and  icise  rulers  tinder  ivhose  conduct  we  enjoy  this  happi- 
ness. We  answer.  This  happiness  principally  consists  in  our  not  al- 
lowing societies  to  have  any  superiority  one  over  another,  but  each 
society  supports  their  own  ministry  of  their  own  free  will,  and  not  by 
constraint  or  force  upon  any  man's  person  or  estate  ;  and  this  great- 
ly adds  to  our  peace  and  tranquillity.  But  the  contrary,  which  takes 
away  men's  estates  by  force,  to  maintain  their  own  or  any  other  min- 
istry, serves  for  nothing  but  to  provoke  to  wrath,  envy,  and  strife. 
This  wisdom  cometh  not  from  above,  but  is  earthly,  sensual  and 
devilish,  in  those  cited  concessions  we  hope  too,  that  you  are  real 
and  hearty,  and  do  it  not  to  flourish  your  compliments  ;  otherwise 
you  make  a  breach  on  the  third  commandment.  This  is  but  a  pre- 
face to  make  room  for  your  request,  which  is.  That  we  iconld  be  pleas- 
ed, according  to  our  potver,  to  countenance,  protect,  and  encourage 
your  ministers  in  their  coming  and  preaching  in  this  town  of  Provi- 
dence. To  which  we  answer  : — We  admire  at  your  request  !  or  that 
you  should  imagine  or  surmise  that  we  should  consent  to  either  ;  in- 
asmuch as  we  know,  that  (to  witness  lor  God)  your  ministers,  for  the 
most  part,  were  never  set  up  by  God,  but  have  consecrated  them- 
selves, and  have  changed  his  ordinances  ;  and  for  their  greediness  af- 
ter filthy  lucre,  some  you  have  put  to  <leath  ;  others  you  have  banish- 
ed upon  pain  of  death  ;  others  you  barbarously  scourged  ;  others  you 
have  imprisoned  and  seized  upon  their  estates.  And  at  this  very 
present  you  are  rending  towns  in  pieces,  ruining  the  people  with  in- 
numerable charges,  which  make  them  decline  your  ministry,  and  fly 
for  refuge  to  the  Church  of  England,  and  others  to  dissenters  of  all 
denominations,  and  you,  like  wolves,  pursue  ;  and  whenever  you  find 
them  within  your  reach,  you  seize  upon  their  estates.  And  all  this  is 
done  to  make  room  for  your  pretended  ministers  to  live  in  idleness, 
pride,  and  fulness  of  Vjiead.  Shall  we  countenance  such  ministers  for 
Christ's  ministers  ?  Nay,  verily.  These  are  not  the  marks  of  Christ's 
ministry  ;  but  are  a  papal  spot  that  is  abhorred  by  all  pious  protes- 
tants. And  since  you  wrote  this  letter  the  constable  of  Attleborough* 
has  been  taking  away  the  estates  of  our  dear  friends  and  pious  dissen- 

•  Only  nine  miles  from  Providence. 


Letter  answered  471 

ters  to  maintain  the  minister.  The  like  hath  been  done  in  tlie  town 
of  Meiidon.*  Is  this  the  way  of  peace  ?  Is  this  the  fruit  of  your 
love  ?  Why  do  you  hug  the  siu  of  Eli's  sons  and  walk  in  the  steps  of 
the  false  prophets,  biting  with  your  teeth,  and  crying  peace  ?  but  no 
longer  thtiu  they  put  into  your  mouth  but  you  prepare  war  against 
them.  Christ  bids  us  beware  of  such  as  come  to  us  in  slieep's  cloth- 
ing, but  inwardly  are  ravening  wolves  ;  and  your  clothing  is  so  scan- 
ty that  all  may  see  your  shame,  and  see  that  your  teaching  is  like 
Gideon's,  who  taught  the  men  of  Succoth  v/ith  the  briers  and  thorns 
of  the  tvilderness.  In  the  next  place:  You  freely  confess  that  we 
entertained  \ou  kindly  at  all  times.  We  hope  we  are  all  so  taught 
of  God  to  love  our  enemies,  and  to  do  good  to  them  that  hate  us,  and 
pray  for  them  xvho  despitefully  treat  us.  And  since  you  admire  the 
love  and  peace  we  do  enjoy,  we  pray  you  to  use  the  same  methods 
and  write  after  our  copy.  And  for  the  future  never  let  us  hear  of 
your  pillaging  conscientious  dissenters  to  maintain  your  own  minis- 
ters. O,  let  not  this  sin  be  your  everlasting  ruin.  Further.  Yovi 
desire  that  all  former  injuries,  done  by  you  to  us,  may  be  buried  in 
oblivion.  We  say.  Far  be  it  from  us  to  avenge  ourselves,  or  to  deal 
to  you  as  you  have  dealt  to  us,  but  rather  say  widi  our  Lord,  Father, 
Jbrgive  them,  for  they  know  not  lohat  they  do  !  But  if  you  mean  that 
we  should  not  speak  of  former  actions  done  hurtfully  to  any  man's 
person,  we  say,  God  never  called  for  that  nor  suffered  to  be  so  done  ; 
as  witness  Cain,  Joab  and  Judas,  which  are  upon  record  to  deter  oth- 
er men  from  doing  the  like.  Lastly.  You  desire  of  us  to  improve 
our  interest  in  Christ  Jesus  for  you  at  the  throne  of  grace.  Far  be 
it  from  us  to  deny  you  this,  for  we  are  commanded  to  pray  for  all 
men.  And  we  count  it  our  duty  to  pray  for  you,  that  God  will  open 
your  eyes  and  cause  you  to  see  how  far  you  have  erred  from  the  way 
of  peace  ;  and  that  God  will  give  you  godly  sorrow  for  tlie  same,  and 
such  repentance  as  is  never  to  be  repented  of;  and  that  you  may  find 
mercy  and  favour  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  at  his  appearing.  And 
so  hoping,  as  you  tender  the  everlasting  welfare  of  your  souls  and  the 
good  of  your  people,  you  will  embrace  our  advice;  and  not  snifer 
passion  so  to  rule  as  to  cause  you  to  hate  reproof,  lest  you  draw  down 
venijeanceon  yourselves  and  on  the  land.  We,  your  friends  of  the 
town  of  Providence,  bid  you  farewell.  Subscribed  for,  and  in  their 
behalf,  by  your  ancient  friend  and  servant  for  Jesu's  sake, 

" JONATHAN  SPREAGUE. 

Teh.  23,  1722. 

"If  it  be  thought,'*  says  Morgan  Edwards,  ''that 
there  is  too  much  tartness  and  resentment  in  this  letter, 
they  will  be  readily  excused  by  them,  w!io  consider,  that 
the  despoiling  of  goods,  imprisonments,  sconrgings,  ex- 
communications and  banishments,  the  slandering  of  this 
colony  at  home  and  abroad,  and  attempts  to  ruin  it  were 
yet  fresh  in  the  knowledge  of  the  people  ;   and  especially, 

*  About  twenty  miles  from  this  town. 


472  Mr.  Spragitc''s  second  Letter. 

that  the  Massachusetts  people  were  at  tlie  time,  doing 
those  very  things  to  the  brethren  in  the  neighbourhood, 
which  they  desire  the  men  of  Providence  to  forget.  This 
was  such  a  piece  of  uncommon  effrontery  and  insult,  as  must 
have  raised  a  m(jod  in  the  man  of  Uz.  Yet  be  it  further 
observed,  that  the  people  of  Providence  do  not  forbid  the 
Presbyterian  ministers  to  come  among  them,  nor  threaten 
them  if  they  should  come,  but  in  express  terms  execrate 
the  thought  oUlcaliug  to  them  as  they  had  dealt  to  Baptists, 

An  anonymous  letter  in  answer  to  this,  was  published  in 
Boston  a  few  months  after,  in  which  it  was  insinuated 
that  all  these  complaints  about  persecution  were  ground- 
less, and  that  those  w  ho  made  them  did  it  in  consequence  of 
iheir  being  buffetted  for  their  faults.  This  letter  was  an- 
swered by  Mr.  Sprague  in  1723,  at  the  close  of  which  he 
inquires,  "  But  why  do  you  strive  to  persuade  the  rising 
generation,  that  you  I'lever  persecuted  nor  hurt  the  Bap- 
tists ?  Did  you  not  barbarously  scourge  Mr.  Obadiah 
Holmes,  and  imprison  John  Hazel  of  Rehoboth,  who  died 
and  came  not  home  ?  And  did  you  not  barbarously 
scourge  Mr.  Baker  in  Cambridge,  the  chief  mate  of  a 
London  ship  ?  Where  also  you  imprisoned  Mr.  Thomas 
Gould,  John  Russell,  Benjamin  Svveetser,  and  many  oth- 
ers, and  lined  them  fifty  pounds  a  man.  And  did  yoii 
not  take  away  a  part  of  the  said  Sweetser's  land,  to  pay  his 
fine,  and  conveyed  it  to  Solomon  Phipps,the  Deputy  Gov- 
ernor Danforth's  son-in-law,  who  after  by  the  hand  of 
God  ran  distracted,  dying  suddenly,  saying  he  was  be- 
witched ?  And  did  you  not  nail  up  the  Baptist  meeting- 
house doors,  and  fine  Mr.  John  Miles,  Mr.  James  Brown, 
and  Mr.  Nicholas  Tanner  ? — Surely,  I  can  fill  sheets  of 
paper  with  the  sufferings  of  the  Baptists,  as  well  as  others, 
within  your  precincts;  but  what  I  have  mentioned  shall 
suffice  for  the  present."  Mr.  Sprague  preached  for  many 
years  to  a  small  society  of  Baptists  in  that,  which  is  now 
the  east  part  of  Smithfield  ;  and  died  in  January,  1741, 
aged  93.  Mr.  Comer  knew  him,  and  speaks  of  him  as 
a  very  judicious  and  pious  man.* 

The  custom  of  making  chargeless  tenders  of  the  gospel 
to  the  inhabitants  of  this  benighted  realm  has  been  contin- 

•  Backus,  vol.  ii.  p.  103,  105.— Edwards'  M.  S.  Hist,  of  Rhode-Island,  p 

15—32. 


First  Church  in  Proijidence,  oldest  in  America.    473 

tied  to  the  present  time.  And  now  the  evangelizing  Pe- 
dobaptists  of  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  are  ahnost 
constantly  sending  missionaries  with  freights  of  sermons 
well  arranged  in  black  and  white  to  illuminate  this  heath- 
enish land  of  dippers  ;  and  many  wish  that  more  good  may 
follow  their  labours  than  has  hitherto  done.  They  pass 
unmolested,  the  Baptists  frequently  invite  them  to  preach 
in  their  pulpits,*  and  those,  who  do  not  deal  out  too  free- 
ly their  canting  censures  are  listened  to  with  attention,  and 
they  find  it  convenient  to  receive  the  missionary  reward 
for  labouring  in  ancient  settlements  within  a  short  distance 
of  their  homes.  Some  of  these  missionaries  are  doubtless 
pious,  worthy  men,  but  the  Rhode- Islanders  are  not  with- 
out suspicions  that  their  employers  have  other  ends  in  view- 
in  sending  them  hither,  besides  the  salvation  of  souls. 
Their  prejudices,  however,  whether  right  or  wrong,  are 
strong  and  unyielding,  and  all  attempts  to  convert  them  to 
Pedobaptism  or  Law-Religion  will  be  unavailing. 

We  shall  now  give  a  brief  account  of  some  of  the  Bap- 
tist  churches  which  have  arisen  in  this  State,  and  begin  with 

The  First  Church  in  Promdence. — This  church,  which 
is  the  oldest  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  America,  ac- 
cording to  Governor  Winthrop,  was  planted  in  the  year 
1639.  Its  first  members  were  twelve  in  number,  viz. 
Roger  Williams,  Ezekiel  Holliman,  William  Arnold, 
William  Harris,  Stuckley  Westcot,  John  Green,  Richard 
Waterman,  Thomas  James,  Robert  Cole,  William  Car- 
penter, Francis  Weston,  and  Thomas  Olney.  Roger 
Williams  being  the  chief  instrument  of  this  work  of  God, 
and  also  in  settling  this  colony,  we  shall  here  give  a  con- 
nected view  of  his  origin,  character,  banishment,  &c.  Al- 
though many  things  have  already  been  said  of  this  distin- 
guished man,  yet  we  have  purposely  omitted  the  follow- 
ing sketches,  that  they  might  stand  in  connexion  with  the 
church  which  be  founded  ;  they  are  found  in  its  records, 
from  which  they  are  here  transcribed. 

"  Mr.  Williams  was  a  native  of  Wales,  born  In  the  year 
1598,  and  had  a  liberal  education,  under  the  patronage  of 
Sir  Edward  Coke.     The  occasion  of  Mr.  Williams'  re- 

•  A  Reverend  Doctor  of  Massachusetts,  a  few  years  since,  was  invited  to 
preach  in  the  Baptist  pulpit  at  Providence,  but  when  the  same  favour  a  short 
time  after  was  asked  of  him,  it  was  denied. 
VOL.    I.  CO 


474  Account  of  Roger  PPilliams, 

ceiving  the  favour  of  that  distinguished  lawyer  was  ver} 
singular.  Sir  Edward,  one  day,  at  church,  observing  a 
youth  taking  notes  from  the  sermon,  beckoned  and  receiv- 
ed him  into  his  pew.  He  obtained  a  sight  of  the  lad's 
minutes  ;  'nhich  were  exceedingly  judicious,  being  a  col- 
lection of  the  most  striking  sentiments  delivered  by  the 
preacher.  This,  with  Mr.  Williams'  great  modesty,  so 
engaged  Sir  Edward  in  his  favour,  as  to  induce  him  to  so- 
licit Mr.  Williams's  parents  to  let  him  have  the  care  of 
their  son  ;  \Ahich  was  readily  granted.  Mr.  Williams 
soon  entered  on  the  study  of  the  law,  and  received  all  pos- 
sible assistance  from  his  generous  patron  ;  but  finding  this 
employment  not  altogether  agreeable  to  his  taste,  after  pur- 
suing it  some  time,  he  turned  his  attention  to  divinity,  and 
made  such  proficiency  therein,  as  encouraged  Sir  Edward 
to  obtain  him  episcopal  orders.  His  preaching  was 
highly  esteemed,  and  his  private  character  revered.  By 
embracing  the  sentiments  of  the  Puritans,  he  was  greatly- 
exposed  to  suffering,  and  at  last  was  thereby  compelled  to 
leave  his  native  country.  He  embarked  for  America,  on 
February  5,  1631,  being  then  in  the  32d  year  of  his  age. 
On  his  arrival,  he  was  called  by  the  church  at  Salem  to 
join  in  the  ministry  with  Mr.  Skelton  ;  but  the  Governor 
and  Council  not  being  satisfied  w  ith  it,  the  appointment  was 
suspended.  This  was  a  means  of  his  being  called  by  the 
church  at  Plymouth,  uhere  he  preached  two  or  three  years, 
and  was  held  in  high  estimation  by  Governor  Bradford  and 
the  people.  The  former  was  pleased  to  give  this  testimo- 
ny of  Mr.  Williams  :  "  He  was  a  man,  godly  and  zealous, 
having  many  precious  parts.  His  preaching  was  well  ap- 
proved, for  the  benefit  of  which  I  still  bless  God,  and  am 
thankful  for  his  shaipest  admonitions,  so  far  as  they  agreed 
with  truth.'*  Mr.  Skelton,  of  Salem,  now  growing  old,  a 
second  application  was  made  to  Mr.  Williams  ;  but  many 
of  his  Plymouth  friends  were  against  his  removal.  One 
Mr.  Brewster  at  length  prevailed  with  the  church  to  dis- 
miss him  ;  saiing,  "  If  he  stayed,  he  would  run  the  same 
course  of  rigid  separation  and  anabaptism  which  one  Smith 
of  Amsterdam  had  done."  He  accordingly  settled  in  Sa- 
lem, and  many  of  the  church  at  Plymouth  followed  him. 
The  Court  again  wrote  to  prevent  his  settlement,  but  could 
not  prevail.      Morton  and  Hubbard  inform  us,    "  In  one 


How  Baptism  was  revhed,  47,5 

year's  time,  Mr.  Williams  filled  that  place  with  principles 
of  rigid  separation,  and  tending  to  anabaptism."  His  favour- 
ite topic,  liberty  of  conscience  ^  a  subject  he  well  understood, 
gave  offence  to  a  few  of  the  leading  part  of  the  congrega- 
tion ;  but  this  would  have  been  borne  with,  had  he  not 
further  maintained  that  civil  magistrates,  as  such^  have  no 
power  in  the  church,  and  that  christians,  as  such,  are  sub- 
ject to  no  laws  or  control,  but  those  of  King  Jesus."  This 
so  greatly  enraged  the  magistrates,  that  they  excommuni- 
cated and  banished  him.  The  town  was  again  enraged  at 
tlie  conduct  of  the  magistrates,  and  several  of  the  inhabi- 
tants  followed  their  minister.  This  was  done  in  the  win- 
ter of  1636.  When  they  were  out  of  the  Massachusetts 
jurisdiction,  they  pitched  in  a  place  now  called  Rehoboth  ; 
but  the  men  of  Plymouth  hearing  thereof,  sent  to  inform 
them  that  they  were  settled  on  lands  within  their  territories. 
Now  they  had  no  refuge,  but  must  venture  among  savages  ; 
a  )d  it  is  said,  that  Mr.  Williams  and  his  friend  Olneyj, 
aiid  Thomas  Angel,  an  hired  servant,  came  over  the  river 
iii  a  caiice,  and  were  saluted  by  the  Indian  word  that  sig- 
niiies,  IVhat  cheer  ?  They  then  came  round  Fox  Point, 
ur  til  they  met  with  a  pleasant  spring,  which  runs  to  this 
d;'; ,  and  is  nearly  opposite  the  Episcopal  Church.  Being 
settled  in  this  place,  which,  from  the  kindness  of  God  to 
them  they  called  Providence,  Mr.  Williams  and  those 
with  him,  considered  the  importance  of  Gospel  Union, 
and  were  desirous  of  forming  themselves  into  a  church, 
but  met  with  a  considerable  obstruction  ;  they  were  con- 
vinced of  the  nature  and  design  of  believer's  baptism  by 
immersion  ;  but,  from  a  variety  of  circumstances,  had 
hitherto  been  prevented  from  submission.  To  obtain  a 
suitable  administrator  was  a  matter  of  consequence  :  at 
length,  the  candidates  for  communion  nominated  and  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Ezekiel  HoUiman,  a  man  of  gifts  and  piety,  to 
baptize  Mr.  Williams  ;  and  who,  in  return,  baptized  Mr. 
HoUiman  and  the  other  ten.  This  church  was  soon  joined 
by  twelve  other  persons,  who  came  to  this  new  settlement, 
and  abode  in  harmony  and  peace.  Mr.  HoUiman  was 
chosen  assistant  to  Mr.  Williams.  This  Church,  accord- 
ing to  Chandler,  held  particular  redemption  ;  but  soon  af- 
ter deviated  to  general  redemption.  Laying-on-of-hands 
was  held  in  a  lax  manner,  so  that  some  persons  were  re- 


476        Mr.  WiUiams''s  Posterity. ...His  Character. 

ceived  without  it.  And  such,  says  Governor  Jenks,  was 
the  opinion  of  the  Baptists  throughout  this  colonv. 
Psalmody  was  first  used  and  afterwards  laid  aside.  These 
alterations  took  place  about  sixteen  years  after  their  settle- 
ment. The  church  at  first  met  for  \\orship  in  a  grove, 
unless  in  wet  and  stormy  weather,  when  they  assembled 
in  private  houses.  Mr.  Williams  held  his  pastoral  office 
about  four  years,  and  then  resigned  the  same  to  Mr.  B;  own, 
and  Mr.  Wickendon,  and  went  to  P^ngland  to  solicit  the 
first  charter.-*  After  Mr.  Williams'  return,  he  preached 
among  the  Indians,  \\  hose  forefathers  were  gathered  by 
him.  He  wrote  an  account  of  the  Indians,  which  the  then 
Lords  of  Trade  highly  commended  ;  also  a  defence  of  the 
doctrines  controverted  by  the  Quakers,  and  another  piece, 
called  the  Bloody  Tenet,  with  some  other  pieces.  He  di- 
ed in  the  year  1682,  aged  84,  and  was  buried  under  arms 
in  his  own  lot  ;  now  supposed  to  be  not  tar  from  the  new 
house  lately  built  by  Mr.  Dorr  on  Benefit-Street. +  Mr. 
"Williams's  wife's  name  was  Elizabeth,  by\^homhehad 
children,  viz.  Mary,  Freeborn,  Providence,  Mercy,  Daniel, 
and  Joseph.  The  third  died  without  issue,  aged  48  years. 
The  others  married  into  the  Rhodes,  Olney,  Waterman, 
W^indsor,  and  Sayles  families  ;  whose  descendants,  ac- 
cording to  Governor  Hopkins,  had  in  1770  been  traced  to 
the  number  of  two  thousand. 

*'  Mr.  Williams'  character,  given  by  many,  as  a  man, 
a  scholar,  and  a  christian,  was  truly  respectable.  He 
appears,  says  Mr.  Callender,  in  his  Century  Sermon, 
page  17,  by  the  whole  tenour  of  his  life,  to  have  been 
one  of  the  most  disinterested  men  that  ever  lived,  and  a 
most  pious  and  heavenly  minded  soul.  Governor  Hutch- 
inson, reflecting  on  the  life  of  this  good  man,  sa}s,  "  In- 
stead of  shewing  any  revengeful  temper,  or  resentment, 
he  was  continually  employed  in  acts  of  kindiiess  and  be- 
nevolence to  his  enemies."  Vol.  1st,  page  38.  Mr.  Cal- 
lender observes,  "  the  true  grounds  of  liberty  of  con- 
science were  not  understood  in  America,  until  Mr.  Wil- 
liams and  John  Clarke  publickly  uvoued,  that  Christ  alotw 

*  Some  accounts  state  his  miiustry  in  the  church  to  have  been  but  a  fevr 
months. 

■J-  ]^is  grave  is  not  certainly  known,  but  tradition  jnakes  it  to  be  near  soia? 
trees  to  the  west  of  this  street. 


Chad  Brovofi. .  pyUliam  IVickendon. .  Gregory  Dexter.    477 

is  king  in  /lis  own  kingdom,  and  that  710  others  had  aiithori- 
ty  over  his  subjects,  in  the  affairs  of  coiis>.ience  and  eter- 
nal salvation."  Governor  Hopkins  said,  "  Roj^er  Wil- 
liams justly  claimed  the  honour  of  being  the  fiist  legislator 
in  the  world,  that  fully  and  effectually  provided  for,  and 
established  a  free,  full,  and  absolute  liberty  of  conscience." 
He  not  only  founded  a  State,  but,  by  his  interest  with  the 
Narraganset  Indians,  broke  the  grand  coiUederacy  against 
the  English,  and  so  became  the  saviour  of  all  the  other 
colonics. 

"  Rev.  Chad  Brown,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Williams  in 
the  charge  of  this  church,  came  to  Pro\  idence  the  latter 
end  of  the  year  1636,  by  reason  of  the  persecution  in 
Massachusetts.  He  was  ordained  in  the  year  1642.  Mr. 
Brown  was  one  of  the  town  proprietors,  and  the  fourteenth 
in  order.  He  supported  a  good  character,  and  was  pros- 
perous in  his  nnnistry. 

'*  Rev.  Mr.  Wickendon,  who  was  colleague  with  Mr. 
Brown,  came  from  Salem  to  Providence  in  1639,  and  was 
ordained  by  Mr.  Brown.  He  died,  February  23,  1669, 
after  having  removed  to  a  place  called  Solitary  Hill.  Mrl 
Wickendon  preached  for  some  time  in  the  city  of  New- 
York,  and  as  a  reward  for  his  labour  was  imprisoned  four 
months. 

"  Rev.  Gregory  Dexter  was  next  in  office.  He  was 
born  in  London,  and  followed  the  stationary  busir.ess  with 
a  Mr.  Coleman.^  It  is  said,  he  fled  from  his  native  coiui- 
try  for  printing  a  piece,  w  hich  was  offensive  to  the  then 
reigning  powers.  He  came  to  Providence  in  1643,  and 
was  the  same  year  received  into  the  church,  being  both  a 
Baptist  and  a  preacher  before  his  arrival.  He  took  the 
care  of  this  church  on  Mr.  Wickendon's  removal  to  Soli- 
tary Hill.  He  was  the  first  who  taught  the  art  of  printing 
in  Boston,  in  New- England.  He  was  never  observed  tq 
laugh,  and  seldom  to  smile.  So  earnest  was  he  in  the 
ministry,  that  he  could  hardly  forbear  preaching  when  he; 
came  into  a  house,  or  met  a  number  of  persons  in  the 
street.  His  sentiments  were  those  of  the  Particular  Bap- 
tists.    He  died  in  the  91st  year  of  his  age. 

■k 
»  This  Colonan  became  tlie  subject  of  a  Farce  called  The  Cutter  of  tpU- 
oiian  Street,  Edviards. 


478        ■    Thomas  Olney.,.Pardon  T'lUinghast. 

"  Rev.  Thomas  Olney  succeeded  to  the  pastoral  office. 
He  was  born  at  Hertford,  in  England,  about  the  year 
1631,  and  came  to  Providence  in  1654  ;  but  when  baptized 
or  ordained  is  not  known.  He  was  the  chief  who  made  a 
division  about  laying-on-of-hands.  He  and  others  withdrew 
and  formed  a  separate  church,  but  it  continued  only  a  bhort 
time.  He  died  June  1 1 ,  1722,  and  was  buried  in  his  own  field. 

*'  Rev.  Pardon  Tillinghast  was  next  in  office.  He  was 
born  at  Seven-clifFe,  near  Beachy-Head  in  Old-England, 
about  the  year  1622.  He  came  to  Providence  by  way  of 
Connecticut,  in  the  year  1645,  and  was  of  the  Particular 
Baptist  denomination,  and  remarkable  for  his  piety  and  his 
plain  dress.  At  his  own  expense  he  built  the  first  meet- 
ing house,  about  the  year  1700,  on  a  spot  of  ground  to- 
wards the  north  end  of  the  town  ;  having  the  main  street 
for  the  front,  and  the  river  to  the  back.  A  larger  house 
was  erected  in  its  place  in  the  year  1718.  He  was  buried 
in  his  own  lot,  towards  the  south  end  of  the  town  ;  and 
which  is  still  continued  as  the  burial  place  of  the  family. 

."Rev.  Ebenezer  Jcnckes  succeeded  Mr.  Tillinghast  in 
office.  He  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  in  the  township  of 
Providence,  1669,  and  ordained  pastor  in  1719  ;  which 
office  he  held  till  his  death,  Aug.  14,  1726.  He  was  a 
man  of  parts  and  real  piety.  He  refused  every  publick  of- 
fice, but  the  surveyorship  of  the  propriety  of  Providence. 
He  was  buried  in  the  family  burial  ground  in  Pawtucket. 
"  Rev.  James  Brown,  grandson  to  the  Rev^  Chad 
Brown,  by  his  eldest  son,  born  at  Pro\  ideiice,  1666,  was 
next  ordained  to  the  pastoral  office  in  this  church,  and 
continued  therein  till  his  death,  October  28,  1732.  He 
was  an  example  of  piety  and  meekness,  worthy  of  admira- 
tion. He  was  buried  in  his  own  lot  at  the  north  end  of 
the  town,  and  a  stone  was  erected  to  his  memory. 

"  Rev.  Samuel  Windsor  succeeded  Mr.  James  Brown. 
He  was  born  in  the  township  of  Providence,  1677,  and  or- 
dained, 1733.  He  continued  the  care  of  this  church,  until 
November  17,  1758,  when  he  died.  He  was  esteemed  a 
worthy  man,  and  had  considerable  success  in  his  ministry. 

"Rev.  Thomas  Burlingham  was  in  union  with  Mr. 
Windsor.  He  was  born  at  Cranston,  May  29,  1688, 
ami  was  ordained  at  the  same  time  with  Mr.  Windsor,  but 
in  a  measure  resigned  his  care  of  the  church,  a  considera^ 


Samuel  Windsor ^jun. .  John  Sutton% .  James  Maiming.  479 

ble  time  before  his  death  in  order  to  preach  to  a  new 
church  at  Cranston.     He  died  January  7,   1740. 

"Rev.  Samuel  Windsor,  son  to  the  aforenamed  Samuel 
Windsor  was  next  in  office.  He  was  born,  November  1, 
1722,  in  the  township  of  Providence,  and  ordained  June 
21,  1759.  He  continued  his  office  with  ease  and  some 
success,  till  towards  the  year  1770,  when  he  made  re- 
peated complaints  to  the  church,  that  the  duty  of  his  of- 
fice was  too  heavy  for  him,  considering  the  remote  situa- 
tion of  his  dwelling  from  town.  He  constantly  urged  the 
church  to  provide  help  in  the  ministry,  as  he  was  not  able 
to  serve  them  any  longer  in  that  capacity,  u  ithout  doing 
injury  to  his  flnmily,  \\  hich  they  could  not  desire. 

*'  Divine  Providence  had  so  ordered,  that  the  Rev. 
James  Manning,  President  of  the  Rhode-Island  College, 
was  likely  to  remove  from  Warren,  to  settle  with  the  col- 
lege in  the  town  ;  and  which  was  esteemed  favourable  to 
the  wishes  of  Mr.  Windsor  and  the  church.  However,  at 
this  juncture,  Mr.  John  Sutton,*  minister,  on  his  way 
from  Nova- Scotia  to  the  Jerseys,  arrived  at  Newport  ; 
when  Mr.  Windsor  and  the  church  invited  him  to  preach 
as  assistant  for  six  months  ;  which  he  did  to  good  accept- 
ance, and  then  pursued  his  journey.  The  attention  of 
the  church  and  Mr.  Windsor,  was  now  directed  to  Mr, 
Manning  ;  and  at  a  church  meeting  held  the  beginning  of 
May,  1770,  Daniel  Jenckes,  Esq.  chief  judge  of  the  in- 
ferior court,  and  Solomon  Drown,  Esq.  were  chosen  to 
wait  on  Mr.  Manning  at  his  arrival,  and,  in  the  name  of 
the  church  and  congregation,  to  invite  him  to  preach  at 
the  meeting-house.  Mr.  Manning  accepted  the  invitation, 
and  delivered  a  sermon.  It  being  communion-day,  Mr. 
Windsor  invited  Mr.  Manning  to  partake  with  them, 
which  the  President  cordially  accepted.  After  this,  several 
members  were  dissatisfied  at  Mr.  Manning's  partaking  of 
the  Lord's  Supper  with  them  ;  but  at  a  church  meeting 
appointed  for  the  purpose,  Mr.  Manning  was  admitted  to 
communion  by  vote  of  the  church.  Notwithstanding  this, 
some  of  the  members  remained  dissatisfied,  at  the  privilege 
of  transient  communion  being  allowed  Mr.  Manning  -, 
whereupon  another  meeting  was  called    previous  to  the 

•  Now  in  Kentucky,  ind  i^one  of  those  viho  are  knovn\  by  the  nr.rae  o-^ 
Einancipators 


480    Difficulties  about  Laymg-on-of- hands  and  Singing. 

next  communion-day,  in  order  to  reconcile  the  difficulty. 
At  said  meeting  Mr.  Manning  was  confirmed  in  his  privi- 
lege by  a  much  larger  majority.  At  the  next  church 
meeting,  Mr.  Windsor  appeared  with  an  unusual  number 
of  members  from  the  country,  and  moved  to  have  Mr. 
Manni'ig  displaced,  but  to  no  purpose.  The  ostensible 
reason  of  Mr.  Windsor  and  of  those  with  him  for  objecting 
against  President  Manning  was»  that  he  did  not  make  im- 
position of  haiids  a  bar  to  communion,  though  he  himself 
received  it,  and  administered  it  to  those  who  desired  it.- 
Mr.  Windsor  and  the  church  knew  Mr.  Manning's  senti- 
ments and  practice  for  more  than  six  years  at  W'arren  ; 
those,  therefore,  who  were  well  informed,  attributed  the 
o])position  to  the  President's  holding  to  singing  in  public 
worship  ;  which  was  highly  disgustful  to  Mr.  Windsor. 
The  difficulty  increasing,  it  was  resolved  to  refer  the  busi- 
ness to  the  next  association  at  Swansy.  But  when  the 
case  was  presented,  the  association,  after  a  full  hearing  on 
both  sides,  agreed  that  they  had  no  right  to  determine,  and 
that  the  church  must  act  for  themselves.  The  next  church 
meeting,  uhich  was  in  October,  was  uncommonly  full. 
All  matters  relative  to  the  President  were  fully  debated, 
and  by  a  much  greater  majority  were  determined  in  his 
favour.  It  was  then  agreed  all  should  sit  down  at  the 
Lord's  table  the  next  Sabbath,  which  was  accordingly 
done.  But  at  the  subsequent  communion  season,  Mr. 
Windsor  declined  administering  the  ordinance  ;  assigning 
for  a  reason,  that  a  number  of  the  brethren  were  dissatisfi- 
ed. April  18,  1771,  being  church  meeting,  Mr.  Windsor 
appeared  and  produced  a  paper,  signed  by  a.  number  of 
members  living  out  of  town,  dated,  Johnston,  February 
27,  1771,  in  which  they  say, 

"  Brct'.iren  and  sisters, — We  must  In  conscience  with- 
draw ourselves  from  all  those  who  do  not  hold  strictly  to 
the  six  principles  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  as  laid  down 
in  Hebrev.s  vi.  1,  2." 

"  At  a  church  meeting  held  May  50,  1771,  Mr.  Sam- 
uel Windsor  made  a  second  declaration,  that  he  withdrew 
fron^  the  church  at  Providence,  and  that  he  should  break 
bread  ill  Juhston,  (an  adjacent  town)  which  he  accord- 
ingly did  the  first  Lord's  day  in  June,  and  continued  so 
to  do.  • 


^  Letter  from  Elders  Job  and  Russel  Mason.     481. 

**  The  church  remaining  in  Providence,  applied  to 
Rev.  Gardner  Thurston,  of  Newport,  for  advice.  In  con- 
sequence of  advice  received,  it  was  resolved  to  apply  to 
Rev.  Job  and  Russel  Mason,  of  Swansy,  to  come  and 
administer  the  Lord's  supper.  Accordingly,  a  letter  was 
sent  signed  by  Daniel  Jenckes,  Esq.  Deacon,  Ephraim 
Wheaton,  and  others,  bearing  date,  June  10,  1771.  To 
this  letter  the  following  answer  was  received  : 

Sivansy,  June  28,  1771. 
*'  To  the  Brethren  and  Sisters  in  the  town  of  Providence,  not  lono- 
since  undei  the  care  of  Elder  Samuel  Windsor,  but  now  forsaken  by 
him,  we  send  greeting,  wishing  all  grace,  mercy  and  peace  may 
abound  toward  you  all,  through  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 
Whereas  you  have  sent  a  request  for  one  of  us  to  break  bread  among 
you,  we  laid  your  request  before  our  church  meeting,  and  there  be- 
ing but  few  members  present,  and  we,  not  being  able  to  know  what 
an  event  of  such  a  proceeding  might  be  at  this  time,  think  it  not  ex- 
pedient for  us  to  come  and  br^ak  bread  with  you.  And  whereas  you 
havd  received  Mr.  Manning  into  your  fellowship,  and  called  him  to 
the  work  of  preaching,  (he  being  ordained)  we  know  not  but  by  the 
same  rule  he  may  administer  the  Lord's  supper.  But  whether  it  will 
be  most  expedient  for  you  to  omit  the  administration  of  the  Lord's 
supper,  considering  the  present  circumstances  of  the  case,  until  the 
association,  we  must  leave  you  to  judge.  No  more  at  present,  but 
desiring  you  would  seek  God  for  wisdom  to  direct  you  in  this  affair  ; 
hoping  you  will  have  the  glory  of  God,  the  credit  of  our  holy  relig* 
ion,  and  the  comfort  of  his  children  at  heart,  in  all  your  proceedings. 
Farewell, 


JOB  MASON,  ^  ^, , 

RUSSEL  MASON,  5  ^^^^^*- 


"  In  consequence  of  the  above  advice,  the  church  ap- 
pointed a  meeting  to  consider  the  propriety  of  calling  Pres- 
ident Manning  to  administer  ordinances  to  the  church  ; 
whereupon  the  following  resolution  was  formed  : 

'*  At  a  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  Old  Baptist 
Church  Meeting  in  Providence,  in  church-meeting  assem- 
bled this  31st  day  of  July,  1771,  Daniel  Jenckes,  Esq. 
Moderator.  Whereas,  Elder  Samuel  Windsor,  now  of 
Johnston,  has  withdrawn  himself,  and  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  members  of  this  church,  from  their  communion  with 
us  who  live  in  town  ;  and  we  being  destitute  of  a  minis- 
ter to  administer  the  ordinances  amongst  us,  have  met  to- 
gether,  in  order  to  choose  and  appoint  a  suitable  person  for 
that  purpose.     Upon  due  consideration,  the  members  pres- 

VOL.    I.  61 


4^        Success  of  President  Manning* s  Ministry] 

cnt  choose  and  appoint  Elder  James  Manning  to  preach 
and  administer  the  communion,  according  to  our  former 
usage." 

"  To  the  above  resolve  Mr.  Manning  returned  the  fol- 
lowing answer : 

*'  As  the  church  is  destitute  of  an  administrator,  and 
think  the  cause  of  religion  suffers  through  the  neglect  of 
the  ordinances  of  God's  house  :  I  consent  to  undertake  to 
administer /?ra  tempore ;  that  is,  until  there  may  be  a  more 
full  disquisition  of  this  matter,  or  time  to  seek  other  help ; 
at  least  until  time  may  prove  whether  it  will  be  consistent 
with  my  other  engagements,  and  for  the  general  interest  of 
religion." 

"  This  answer  being  accepted,  the  Rev.  James  Manning 
was  appointed  pastor  of  this  church,  pro  tempore. 

"  At  the  general  meeting  or  association,  held  Septem- 
ber 20,  1771,  a  question  was  put  "  Whether  those  mem- 
bers who  withdrew  with  Mr.  Windsor,  or  those  in  Provi- 
dence, be  considered  the  Old  Church  ?"  Whereupon  the 
brethren,  meeting  in  Providence,  were  acknowledged  the 
Old  Church  ;  but  it  was  agreed  that  the  association  would 
hold  communion  with  both  churches  so  long  as  they  walk- 
ed agreeably  to  the  gospel. 

"  Mr.  Manning  preached  wdth  general  acceptance  to  an 
increasing  congregation  for  some  time,  without  any  visible 
success  in  the  conversion  of  sinners.      In  the  latter  end  of 
the  year  1774,  the  sudden  death  of  one  Mr.  Biggilo,  a 
young  man,  who  was  accidentally  shot  by  his  intimate  com- 
panion, playing  with  a  gun,   made  a  very  uncommon  im- 
pression on  the  minds  of  many.     In  December  of  the  same 
year,  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  make  his  power  known  to  the 
hearts  of  Tamar  Clemans  and  Venus  Arnold,  two  black 
women,  who  were  soon  added  to  the  church  by  baptism, 
and  who  maintained  the  dignity  of  their  profession.     The 
sacred  flame  of  the  gospel  began  to  spread ;   and  in  the 
course  of  fifteen  months,  one  hundred  and  four  persons 
confessed  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  in  the  conver- 
sion of  their  souls,  and  entered  the  gates  of  Zion  with  joy. 
During  this  time  a  peculiar  solemnity  pervaded  the  whole 
congregation  and  town.      There  was  a  general  attendance 
on  the  worship  of  God  ;    and  meetings  for  conference  and 
prayer  were  held  from  house  to  house  to  great  advantage. 


The  Tiew  Meeting- House  built,  483 

The  meeting-house  was  not  sufficient  to  contain  the  peo- 
ple, who  pressed  to  hear  the  word  ;  therefore,  those  whose 
hearts  the  Lord  opened,  were  ready  to  join  their  hands  to 
build  a  more  convenient  place  for  the  worship  of  God. 

"  A  committee  was  now  appointed  to  petition  the  gener- 
al assembly  of  the  State  at  their  next  session  to  obtain  an 
act,  empowering  them  to  sell  the  meeting-house  and  ground, 
and  lay  out  the  money  arising  from  the  sale  thereof,  in 
purchasing  and  preparing  another  lot,  and  building  a  house 
for  the  Baptist  church  and  society.  The  petition  was 
granted,  and  tlie  m.eeting  house  and  lot  were  sold  at  pub- 
lick  vendue  to  John  Broun,  Esq.  for  the  sum  of  four  hun- 
dred and  twenty  pounds,  L.  M.  A  generous  subscrip- 
tion was  soon  obtained,  and  a  lot  of  ground  of  large  di- 
mensions situated  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  was  purchased 
of  Mr.  William  Russel,  and  Mr.  Amaziali  Waterman. 

"  The  draught  of  the  new  meeting-house  was  made  by 
Joseph  Brown,  Esq.  a  member  of  this  church,  and  Mr. 
Sunnier,  Vvho  also  superintended  the  building.  The  floor 
was  laid  80  feet  square.  It  contains  126  square  pews  on 
the  ground  floor.  A  large  gallery  on  the  south,  west,  and 
north,  and  one  other  above  on  the  west,  for  the  use  of  the 
blacks.  The  roof  and  galleries  are  supported  by  twelve 
fluted  pillars  of  the  Doric  order.  The  ceiling  in  the  body 
is  a  continued  arch,  and  over  the  galleries  it  is  intersected  ; 
the  adjustment  of  which,  and  the  largeness  of  the  building, 
render  it  extremely  difficult  for  most  who  attempt  to 
preach  in  it.  At  the  east  end  is  a  very  elegant,  large  Ve- 
nitian  window,  before  which  the  pulpit  stands.  At  the 
west  end  is  a  steeple  of  the  height  of  196  feet,  supposed  to 
be  the  best  workmanship  of  the  kind  of  any  in  America,  it 
was  furnished  with  a  good  clock  and  bell,  both  made  in 
London.  The  weight  of  the  bell  was  2515  lb.  and  upon  it 
was  the  following  motto  : 

"  For  freedom  of  conscience,  the  town  was  first  planted  ; 

Persuasion,  not  force,  was  us'd  by  the  people  ; 
This  church  is  the  eldest  and  has  not  recanted. 

Enjoying  and  granting  bell,  temple,  and  steeple." 

*'  This  bell  was  split  by  ringing  in  the  year  1787,  and 
afterwards  recast  by  Jesse  Goodyear  at  Hope  Furnace ; 
the  weight  thereof  is  2387  lb.     The  inscription  of  it  is, 


484  Tlie  Church  disturbed  by  Reason  of  IFar. 

*'  This  Church  was  founded,  A.  D.  1639,  die  first  in  the 
State,  and  the  oldest  of  the  Baptists  in  America."  The 
ground  and  building  amounted  to  about  seven  thousand 
pounds,  lawful  money,  that  is,  over  23,000  dollars.  It  was 
opened  for  publick  worship.  May  28,  1775,  when  the  Pres- 
ident, afterwards  Doctor  Planning,  preached  the  first  ser- 
mon from  Genesis  xxviii.  17.  This  is  nam  other  but  the 
house  of  God,  and  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven. 

"  At  this  time,  a  number  of  the  principal  members  of 
the  church  and  congregation,  sincerely  wisliing  the  utmost 
prosperity  to  attend  the  interest  of  Christ  among  them,  pro- 
posed to  form  themselves  into  a  body  politick,  to  be  knowa 
by  the  name  of  "  The  charitable  Baptist  society,  in  the 
town  of  Providence,  in  the  colony  of  Rhode-Island,  and 
Providence  Plantation,  in  New  England."  The  design  of 
this  society  was  to  raise  a  fund  towards  the  support  of  the 
ministers  of  the  church,  educate  youth,  and  other  laudable 
purposes.  These  members  petitioned  the  General  As- 
sembly, at  their  next  session,  holden  at  Newport,  for  a 
charter,  which  was  readily  granted,  on  the  first  Wednes- 
day in  May,  1774.     This  society  is  still  continued. 

"  The  church  and  congregation  being  happily  settled  in 
the  new  meeting  house,  and  promising  themselves  great 
pleasure  therein,  were  soon  disturbed  by  the  alarm  of  war. 
Many  of  the  youi:g  members  were  taken  away  to  join  the 
army.  Families  removed  for  safety  to  the  country  ;  and 
those  vho  were  left  behind,  wtvc  exposed  to  the  fears 
common  tosuch  afflictive  seasons.  Through  divine  good- 
ness, the  stated  worship  was  continued,  and  meetings  of 
business  regularly  preserved.  When  it  pleased  the  Lord 
to  ordain  peace,  and  to  return  many  of  those  brethren, 
who  had  been  separated  by  publick  calamities,  it  was 
thought  proper  to  hold  two  especial  meetings ;  one  at 
Providence  and  the  other  at  Pawtucket,  four  miles  distant, 
where  a  number  of  the  members  resided.  The  design  of 
these  meetings  was  to  engage  each  other  to  walk  in  the 
fear  of  God,  and  enjoy  the  happy  privilege  of  christian 
communion,  which  proved  of  real  advantage.  However, 
the  church  was  constrained  to  experience  the  sad  conse- 
quences of  their  scattered  state.  Gifts  and  graces  were 
greatly  injured,  and  that  bloom  of  profession,  which  ap- 


Stephen  Gam  becomes  Pastor  of  this  Church.      485 

peared  at  the  time  of  the  general  revival  unhappily  faded 
au  ay . 

"Dr.  Manning  continued  his  ministry  to  good  satis- 
faction, and  with  success  ;  but  his  constant  employ  in  the 
college,  not  only  prevented  him  from  attending  the  aftliirs 
of  the  church,  and  from  necessary  visits,  but  unavoidably 
permitted  its  members  to  lie  in  a  very  unpleasant  situation. 
The  Doctor  bein";  sensible  of  these  things,  repeatedly  en- 
treated the  church  to  look  out  for  a  minister  to  take  the 
charge  of  them  ;  and  at  length  in  a  most  honourable  way 
reaiizned  his  pastoral  office.  He  died  in  a  fit  of  the  apo- 
plexy, universally  regretted,  July  29,  1791,  leaving  behind 
an  amiable  widow,  who  is  yet  living  in  Providence." 

Thus  far  the  history  of  this  church  has  been  transcribed 
from  its  records,  which  were  set  in  order  in  1775,  by  Rev, 
John  Stanford,  now  of  New-York,  \a  ho  was  then  preach- 
ing with  them.  This  account,  up  to  Dr.  Manning's  be- 
ginning in  Providence,  is  found  almost  in  the  same  form  as 
here  stated  in  Morgan  Edward's  MS.  History,  Sec.  pre- 
pared in  1771.  It  was  published  in  Rippon's  Register  in 
1802,  and  as  it  is  well  written,  I  have  chosen  to  copy  it 
without  scarce  any  alteration. 

Alter  Dr.  Manning's  death,  Mr.  now  Dr.  Maxcy,  Pres- 
ident of  Columbia  College,  South-Carolina,   served  this  ■ 
church  about  two  years. 

Next  to  him  was  Mr.  Stephen  Gano,  who  is  still  with 
them.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  John  Gano  whose  history 
will  be  related  in  the  biographical  department  ;  was  born 
in  the  city  of  New- York,  Dec.  25,  1762  ;  was  bred  to 
physic  ;  was  a  surgeon  in  the  American  army  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  the  revolutionary  war,  and  was  settled  in  his 
medical  profession  at  Orangetown,  New- York,  before  his 
attention  was  called  to  the  things  of  religion.  At  the  age 
of  23  he  commenced  his  ministry  in  the  First  Church  in 
his  native  city,  where  he  was  ordained.  May,  1786. 
From  this  period  he  laboured  successively  at  Hudson, 
Hillsdale,  and  Nine  Partners,  until  1792,  when,  by  the 
call  of  this  ancient  church,  he  removed  among  them  and 
became  their  pastor.  During  the  twenty. one  years  of  his 
pastoral  labours  here,  some  very  precious  and  extensive 
revivals  have  been  experienced,  and  by  him  about  five 
hundred  persons  have  been  baptized,  who  have  joined  this 


486  The  Branches  of  this  Church  iiumerous, 

church,  besides  many  others  in  different  parts  of  the  sur- 
rounding  country. 

The  branches  of  this  church  have  been  considerably 
numerous,  and  it  seems  probable  that  from  it  originated 
either  directly  or  indirectly  most  of  the  churches  which 
have,  at  different  times,  arisen  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
State.  Mr.  Callender  informs  us  that  "  this  church  shot 
out  into  divers  branches,  as  the  members  increased,  and 
the  distance  of  their  habitations  made  it  inconvenient  to 
attend  the  publick  worship  in  the  town  ;  several  meetings 
Vvcre  thereupon  fixed  at  different  places  for  their  ease  and 
accommodation  ;  and  about  this  time  (1730)  the  large 
township  of  Providence  became  divided  into  four  tovvns  ; 
their  chapels  of  ease  began  to  be  considered  as  distinct 
churches,  though  all  are  yet  (1738)  in  a  union  of  councils 
and  interests."* 

The  towns  taken  from  Providence  were  Smithfield, 
Gloucester,  and  Scituate  ;  in  each  of  which  large  and 
flourishing  churches  afterwards  arose. 

In  1743,  a  church  was  formed  at  Greenwich,  partly  of 
members  from  this  body. 

The  church  in  Cranston,  still  nearer  home,  was  formed 
mostly  of  members  from  Providence  in  1764.  This 
church  was  first  founded  on  Calvinistic  principles,  which, 
I  conclude,  did  not  long  prevail  among  them. 

In  1771,  a  church  arose  at  Johnston,  only  three  miles 
distant,  in  consequence  of  Mr.  Windsor's  separation, 
which  has  already  been  mentioned. 

We  must  from  that  time  pass  on  to  1805,  in  which  year 
were  formed  from  this  ancient  body  and  in  union  with  it, 
the  second  church  in  Providence,  and  the  one  at  Paw- 
tucket.  The  year  after  was  formed  the  church  at  Paw- 
tuxet.  Considerably  over  a  hundred  members  were  dis- 
missed to  form  these  three  churches,  and  yet  it  being  a 
time  of  revival,  the  old  church  increased  so  fast,  that  it  was 
larger  after  they  were  all  formed  than  before. 

This  church  has  experienced  some  changes  as  to  its 
doctrinal  sentiments  :  it  was,  as  we  have  seen,  first  found- 
ed on  the  Particular  or  Calvinistic  plan  ;  in  process  of 
time  they  became  what  our  English  brethren  would  call 
General  Baptists,  and  so  continued  for  the  most  part  more 

*  Century^Sermon,  p.  61.  62. 


Difficulties  arise  concerning  the  Laying-on-of -hands,  4S7 

than  a  hundred  years.  From  the  commencement  of  Dr. 
Manning's  ministry,  they  have  been  verging  back  to  their 
first  principles,  and  now  very  httle  of  the  Arminian  leaven 
is  found  among  them.  From  first  to  last  the  Bible,  with- 
out comment,  has  been  their  Confession  of  Faith. 

The  doctrine  of  Laying-on-of-hands  was,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  church,  held  in  a  lax  manner  ;  but  it  became 
afterwards  a  term  of  communion,  and  continued  so  until 
after  Dr.  Manning  came  among  them  ;  he  prevailed  with 
the  church  to  admit  to  occasional  communion  those  breth- 
ren, who  were  not  convinced  of  the  duty  of  coming  under 
hands  ;  but  very  few  such  were  received  as  members  till 
after  his  death.  But  on  August  4,  1791,  the  church  had 
a  full  meeting,  when  this  point  was  distinctly  considered, 
and  a  clear  vote  was  gained  to  admit  members  who  did 
not  hold  that  doctrine.  But  notwithstanding  this  vote,  the 
laying-on-of-hands,  not  as  an  ordinance,  but  as  a  form  of 
receiving  new  members,  was  generally  practised  until  1808, 
when  the  pastor  of  the  church,  who  had  been  educated  in 
the  belief  of  this  ceremony,  as  his  father  was  an  advocate 
for  it,  and  who  had  hitherto  practised  it,  not,  however,  with- 
out troublesome  scruples  of  its  propriety,  found  his  mind 
brought  to  a  stand  on  the  subject,  and  after  duly  weighing  the 
matter,  informed  the  church,  that  he  could  no  longer  continue 
the  practice,  and  unless  they  could  excuse  him,  he  must  ask  a 
dismission  from  his  pastoral  care.  After  a  full  discussion  of 
the  subject,  the  church,  with  but  one  dissenting  voice,  voted 
not  to  dismiss  him,  and  laying-on-of-hands  of  course  fell  into 
neglect.  Some  few  worthy  members  were  desirous  of 
retaining  both  their  pastor  and  this  ancient  ceremony,  but 
not  being  disposed  to  act  against  the  voice  of  the  church, 
no  division  and  but  little  controversy  ensued. 

Before  we  close  this  sketch,  it  is  proper  we  should  take 
notice  of  some  things  pertaining  to  this  ancient  and 
wealthy  congregation,  which  have  not  yet  been  mentioned. 
The  lot,  on  which  their  meeting-house  stands,  is  bounded 
on  four  streets,  and  is  enclosed  with  a  handsome  and  cost- 
ly picket  fence.  Its  dimensions  are  150  feet  on  Main- 
street,  west  ;  300  feet  on  Thomas-street,  north  ;  170  feet 
on  Benefit-street,  east ;  and  188  on  President-street,  south. 
This  spacious  lot  would  occupy  an  entire  square,  were  it 
not  for  two  small  lots  on  which  are  buildings  at  its  south- 


488  Second  Church  in  Providence. 

west  corner.  This  lot  is  near  the  centre  of  tlie  town,  and 
would  probably  sell  for  at  least  thirty  thousand  dollars. 
The  meeting  house,  forty  years  ago,  cost  not  flir  from 
twenty  thousand  dollars  ;  it  could  not  probably  be  built 
now  under  double  that  sum.  Under  the  floor  at  the  west 
end  is  a  vestry,  which  will  contain  about  five  hundred 
persons. 

The  appendaj^es  of  this  establishment,  which  have  not 
been  mentioned,  are,  1st.  A  large  elegant  glass  chandelier, 
which  cost  about  four  hundred  dollars,  and  was  presented 
by  Mrs.  Ives,  sister  of  Nicholas  Brown,  Esq.  This  lady, 
about  the  time  she  made  this  present,  expended  six  hun- 
dred dollars  in  painting  the  inside  of  the  meeting-house. 
2d.  A  parsonage  house,  built  in  1792,  which,  with  the  lot, 
cost  about  three  thousand  dollars  ;  two  thousand  of  which 
were  given  by  the  above  mentioned  Mr.  Brown.  3d. 
Funds  at  interest,  which  produce  about  five  hundred  dol- 
lars a  year.  This  fund  was  raised  by  subscription,  and  a 
considerable  portion  of  it  came  from  ihe  Brown  family. 
4th.  A  legacy  of  about  three  hundred  dollars,  intrusted 
particularly  with  the  church,  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor 
coloured  members.  This,  like  the  widow's  mite,  seems 
to  be  more  than  all  the  rest,  as  it  uas  bequeathed  by  a 
black  sister  lately  deceased,  whose  name  was  Patience 
Borden,  commonly  called  Patience  Sterry. 

Second  Church  in  PrcDidence. — This  church  arose,  as 
we  have  already  stated,  in  1805.  It  was  formed  in  perfect 
agreement  with  the  first,  and  received  from  it  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship  as  a  sister  community.  Its  seat  is  some 
distance  from  it  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  Mr.  Joseph 
Cornell,  whose  name  has  frequently  occurred  in  the  pre- 
ceding narratives,  became  its  pastor  at  the  time  of  its  con- 
stitution, and  continued  in  that  ofiice  about  seven  years. 
His  membership  is  still  with  them,  but  he  has  been  travel- 
ling as  a  missionary  most  of  the  time  for  a  year  or  two 
past.  They  have  had  preaching  constantly  since  his  resig- 
nation ;  but  the  pastoral  office  is  yet  vacant.  Mr.  Cornell, 
previous  to  the  founding  of  this  church,  had  preached  a 
short  time  with  the  congregation  of  the  late  Mr.  Joseph 
Snow,  who  closed  his  long  and  successful  ministry  in 
1803,  when  he  was  over  80  years  of  age.  Mr.  Snow  was 
one  of  the  zealous  Ncw-Lights  of  Whitefield's  time,  was 


Pawtucket  Church,  489 

ordained  at  Providence  in  1747,  and  was,  in  early  life,  a 
companion  in  labours  with  Mr.  Backus,  and  other  success- 
ful ituierants  of  those  times.  He  was  a  Pedobaptist  in 
principle,  but  saw  fit  to  administer  baptism  in  any  way  his 
disciples  chose,  and  as  the  Providence  people  are  much 
inclined  to  the  ancient  mode,  a  considerable  number  of 
them  were  immersed.*  Mr.  Snow  was  well  esteemed 
by  the  Baptists  in  Providence  and  elsewhere.  His  funeral 
sermon  was  preached  by  Dr.  Gano,  from  2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8, 
I  ha'ue  fought  a  good  Jight^  I  haiic  finished  my  course ^  I 
have  kept  the  faith^  ^c. 

The  church  under  consideration,  by  their  own  exertions, 
by  the  assistance  of  the  old  church  atid  congregati  )n,  and 
others,  built  them  a  convenient  house  of  worship  (iO  feet 
by  40.  It  was  completely  finished  in  less  than  two  months 
after  the  foundation  was  begun. 

Pawtucket  Church. — Pawtucket  is  four  miles  north-east 
of  Providence,  on  the  road  to  Boston.  For  a  hundred  aud 
thirty  or  forty  years  past,  there  have  at  all  times  resided  in 
this  place  and  its  vicinity,  a  number  of  the  members  of 
the  church  in  Providence.  Some  of  the  most  distinguish- 
ed of  whom  were  Ebenezer  Jenks,  for  a  number  of  years 
pastor  of  that  body.  Governor  Joseph  Jenks,  Judge  Wil- 
liam Jenks,  and  others.  The  pastors  of  Providence  used 
frequently  to  preach  here  ;  but  no  provision  was  made  for 
a  stated  meeting,  until  about  1793.  At  that  time  a  num- 
ber of  the  inhabitants  formed  themselves  into  a  Baptist  So- 
ciety, obtained  an  act  of  incorporation,  built  them  a  house 
for  worship,  raised  a  fund  of  three  thousand  dollars  for  the 
support  of  preaching,  and  obtained  supplies  from  different 
preachers,  until  the  autumn  of  1804,  when  the  Author  be- 
gan to  labour  among  them.  A  few  months  after  a  revival 
commenced,  and  in  August,  1805,  the  church  was  formed 
of  members  dismissed  for  the  purpose,  from  the  mother 
church  at  Providence.  The  meeting  house  stands  0[)  a 
lot  of  half  an  acre,  the  gift  of  Nicholas  Brown,  Esq.  of 
Providence  ;  it  was  at  first  45  feet  by  2>6,  but  has  been  en- 
larged this  summer,  (1813)  to  60  feet  by  45. 

•  Towards  the  close  of  Mr.  Snow's  ministry,  his  church  was  divided  ;  the 
larger  part  has  for  its  minister,  Mr.  James  Wilson,  who  also  immerses  those, 
who  prefer  that  mode  The  part  to  which  Mr.  Cornell  preached,  is  under 
the  care  of  Mr.  Thomas  Williams,  from  Connecticut,  who  chooses  not  to  go 
into  the  water. 

VOL.   I.  62 


490  Pawtuxet  Church, 

Pa%vtu>cet  Is  five  miles  below  Providence,  on  the  western 
shore  of  the  Narraganset  Bay.  The  church  here  was  form- 
ed  the  year  after  that  at  Pawtucket,  and  is  now  under  rbe 
care  of  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Be-la  Jacobs.  Tne 
origin  of  this  church  was  similar  to  the  one  at  Pawtucket. 
Some  of  the  Providence  members  had  long  resided  in  ili.c 
place,  and  the  inhabitants  had,  a  number  of  years  before 
the  church  was  established,  formed  an  incorporated  Bapii'^t 
Society,  and  built  them  a  place  of  worship,  which  has  since 
been  enlarged. 

We  have  thus  given  a  general  view  of  the  origin,  progress, 
appendages,  and  branches  of  the  oldest  Baptist  church  ni 
America.  The  number  of  her  miiiisieria!  sons  cannot  be 
ascertained  with  any  degree  of  precision;  since  179(  ,  she 
hath  given  her  approbation  to  the  twelve  folknving,  whose 
stations  we  shall  add  to  their  names.  Dr.  Jonathan  Max- 
cy,  President  of  the  college  at  Columbia,  South-Carolina  ; 
Dr.  Asa  Messer,  President  of  Brown  University  ;  David 
Leonard, ,  John  M.  Roberts,  Statesbury,  South-Caro- 
lina ;  Abisha  Sampson,  Harvard,  Massachusetts  ;  Ferdi- 
nand Ellis,  Marblehead,  do.  Henry  Grew,  Hartford,  Con- 
necticut ;  Jonathan  Going,  Cavendish,  Vermont  ;  James 
Barnaby,  Harwich,  Massachusetts  ;  Hervey  Jenks,  Hud- 
son, New-York  ;  George  Angel,  Woodstock,  Connecti- 
cut ;  Nicholas  Branch,  not  yet  settled. 

"This  church,"  said  Governor  Hopkins,  a  Quaker, 
"  hath  from  its  beginning  kept  itself  in  repute,  and  main- 
tained its  discipline,  so  as  to  avoid  scandal  or  schism  to 
this  day."  And  he  further  adds,  "  It  hath  always  beei3 
and  still  is  a  numerous  congregation,  and  in  which  I  have 
with  pleasure  observed  very  lately  sundry  descendants 
from  each  of  the  founders  of  the  colony,  except  Holliman."* 

This  eulogium,  which  could  not  have  flowed  from  sec- 
tarian partiality,  was  pronounced  forty-eight  years  ago» 
This  Baptist  congregation  is  still  large  and  respectable  in 
every  point  of  view ;  and  in  it  are  usually  found  a  greater 
number  of  men  of  wealth,  of  honourable,  professional,  and 
literary  characters,  than  are  to  be  found  in  any  Baptist  con- 
gregation in  America,  and  their  estate  of  different  kinds, 
cannot  be  estimated  at  less  than  eighty  thousand  dollars. 
And  the  church,  after  fitting  out  so  many  daughters 
around,  consists  of  four  hundred  and  tv\entv-five  mc^mbers. 
*  Providence  Gazette  for  March  16, 1765,  article.  History  of  Providence 


Chad^  Joseph^  and  Nicholas  Brown,  491 

Such  is  the  history  of  a  Baptist  community,  which  has 
ever  protested  against  civil  coercion  in  the  affairs  of  con- 
science, which  has  ahvays  depended  on  the  vohmtary  con- 
tributions of  its  patrons  for  its  support,  and  which  has  ex- 
isted an  hundred  and  seventy-four  years  under  the  influ- 
ence of  those  very  principles,  which  many  of  the  New- 
England  declaimers  have  represented  as  heretical,  licen- 
tious, dangerous,  and  disorganizing. 

Among  the  families,  who  have  been  members  and  dis- 
tinguished  patrons  of  this  church  and  society,  those  of  the 
Browns'  and  Jenks'  deserve  particular  notice.  Others  are 
entitled  to  respectful  mention,  but  a  connected  history  of 
them  I  have  not  been  able  to  obtain. 

From  Chad  Brown,  who  became  the  pastor  of  this 
church  but  three  years  after  it  was  formed,  descended  that 
opulent  and  liberal  train  of  benefactors,  who  have  con- 
tributed so  much  to  its  splendour  and  convenience.  One 
of  his  sons  w  as,  according  to  tradition,  a  preacher  ;  but  I 
find  no  record  of  him.  His  grandson  James,  of  whom  we 
have  given  an  account,  died  the  pastor  of  this  church  in 
1732.  Grandsons  to  him  were  the  four  brothers  Nicholas, 
Joseph,  John,  and  Moses,  under  whose  superintendance 
the  College  was  built,  and  who  were,  from  the  beginning 
of  that  institution,  among  its  most  distinguished  patrons. 
Their  mother  was  a  member  of  the  church,  but  their  fa- 
ther was  not. 

Joseph  Brown,  L,  L.  D.  was  long  a  member  of  this 
church,  w^as  distinguished  for  his  attainments  in  philo- 
sophical researches,  and  held,  till  his  death,  the  office  of 
Professor  of  Experimental  Philosophy  in  the  College,  of 
which  he  was  a  zealous  patron.  He  died  December,  1785. 
Cbadiah  Brown,  Esq.  Mrs.  Ward,  and  the  youngest 
daughter  of  the  pastor  of  this  church,  are  all  who  remain  of 
his  posterit}'. 

Nicholas  Brown,  Esq.  died  in  1791,  in  the  62d  year  of 
his  age  ;  his  funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  Dr.  S'illmaii 
of  Boston.  "  He  was,  from  early  life,  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile business,  by  which  he  acquired  an  ample  fortune  ; 
he  was  from  sentiment  a  lover  of  all  mankind,  especially  of 
the  good. — His  manners  were  plain  and  sincere  ;  and  in 
him  the  publick  lost  a  good  citizen,  the  College  a  Maecenas, 
and  the  religious  society,  to  which  he  belonged,  an  orn?.> 


492        John  and  Moses  Brown... Joseph  Jenks. 

inental  and  main  pillar."     He  was  esteemed  by  his  relig- 
ious friends  a  man  of  piety,   although  he  never  so  far  sur- 
mounted his  doubts,  as  to  make  a  pnblick  profession  of 
religion.     His  only  surviving  children  are  Nicholas  Brown, 
E  :}.  and  Mrs.  Ives,  the  wife  of  Thomas  P.  Ives,  Esq. 

John  Brown,  Esq.  was  a  liberal  promoter  of  the  Baptist 
Society  and  also  of  the  College,  the  four»dution  stone  of 
uhich  was  laid  by  him  in  1769.  He  accumulated  a  vast 
est-iLc,  and  left,  it  is  said,  half  a  million  of  dollars  for  his 
heirs,  one  of  whom  married  James  B.  Mason,  Esq.  grand- 
son of  John  Mason,  one  of  the  pastors  of  the  second  church 
in  Swansea. 

Moses  Brown,  Esq.  is  the  only  survivor  of  these  broth- 
ers ;  he  has  been  a  liberal  patron  of  the  College,  but  has, 
for  many  years,  belonged  to  the  Society  of  Quakers  or 
Friends. 

The  Jenks'  family  for  near  a  century  resided  mostly  in 
Pawtucket  and  its  vicinity  ;  but  they  are  now  widely  scat- 
tered in  many  different  States,  and  not  so  many  eminent 
men  are  found  among  them  as  formerly.  They  all  de- 
scr-ided  from  the  Hon.  Joseph  Jenks,  Esq.  who  was  born 
in  B  ickinghamshire,  England,  1632.  When  young,  he 
came  to  America,  tarried  awhile  at  Lynn,  in  Massachusetts, 
ar,d  then  emigrated  to  Pawtucket  and  erected  the  first 
house,  which  was  built  in  this  place.  Here  he  built  a 
forge,  which  was  burnt  down  in  king  Philip's  War. 
^Vhtth':'r  he  became  a  member  of  the  church  at  Provi- 
dence, I  cannot  learn,  but  he  is  reputed  to  have  been  a 
man  of  piety,  and  most  of  his  descendants,  who  have  pro- 
fessed religion,  have  been  found  in  the  Baptist  connexion. 
His  four  sons,  Joseph,  Nathaniel,  Ebenezer,  and  William, 
were  emitient  in  their  day  ;  each  of  them  built  houses  in 
Pawtucket,  which  are  yet  standii  g,  and  three  of  them  were 
worthy  members  of  the  Providence  church. 

Joseph  Jenks,  who  filled  many  important  offices  in  the 
colony,  who  was  a  number  of  years  an  ambassador  to  the 
court  of  St.  James  on  the  business  of  the  colony,  and  who 
was  five  years  its  Governor,  was  born  in  1656,  and  was  an 
active  and  ornamental  member  of  the  church,  whose  af- 
fairs we  have  in  view.  He  was  solicited  to  remain  longer 
in  the  chair  of  State,  but  for  this  sage  reason  he  declined  : 
"  1  now,"  said  he,   "perceive  my  natural   faculties  abat- 


History  of  the  Jenks''  Family,  493 

ing — if  I  should  contiDue  longer  in  office,  it  is  possible 
I  may  be  insensible  of  their  decay,  and  may  be  unwilling 
to  resign  my  post  when  1  am  no  longer  capable  of  filling 
it."  He  was  interred  in  the  family  burying  ground  at 
Pawtucket,  where  the  following  epitaph  may  be  seen  on 
his  tomb  : 

*'  III  memory  of  the  Hon.  Joseph  Jenckes,  Esq,  late  Gov- 
ernor of  the  ColODy  of  Rhode-Island,  Deceased  the  15ch  da\  of 
June,  A.  D.  1740,  in  the  84th  year  of  his  A^e.  He  was  much 
Ho.ioured  and  Beloved  in  Life  and  Lamented  in  Death  :  He 
was  a  hrii^ht  Example  of  Virtue  in  every  Stage  of  Life  :  He 
was  a  Zealous  Christian,  a  Wise  and  P -udent  Governor  :  a  Kind 
Husband  a  id  a  Tender  Father  :  a  j^ood  Neighbour  and  a  Faith- 
ful Friend  :  Grave,  Sober,  Pleasant  in  Behaviour  .-  ^  Beautiful 
in  Person,  with  a  Soul  truly  Great,  Heroic,  and  Sweetly  Tem- 
pered." 

His  wife  was  Martha  Brown,  daughter  of  Elder  James 
Brown  of  Providence,  by  whom  he  had  C'iildren,  Obadiah, 
Catharine,  Nathaniel,  IVIartha,  Lydia,  John,  Mary,  Esther, 
who  married  into  the  families  of  the  Blakes,  Turpins, 
Scotts,  Andrews,  Masons,  Harendens,  and  Buckiiws, 
John  studied  physick,  went  to  England  with  his  father  to 
perfect  himself  in  his  profession,  where  he  died  w  ith  tiie 
small  pox.  It  does  not  appear  whom  he  married,  but  he 
left  three  children. 

Major  Nathaniel  Jenks  was  born  in  1662,  and  died  in 
1723,  aged  6L 

Of  Elder  Ebenezer  Jenks,  one  of  the  pastors  of  the 
Providence  church,   we  have  already  given  some  account. 

Judge  William  Jenks,  the  youngest  of  these  four  broth- 
ers, was  a  worthy  member  of  the  church  at  Providence, 
and  died  1765,  in  the  91st  year  of  his  age. 

Judge  Daniel  Jenks,  a  son  of  Elder  Ebenezer,  settled  in 
Providence,  became  a  member  of  the  church,  accumulated 
a  great  estate,  and  was  a  generous  promoter  of  the  Baptist 
interest  in  the  town.  It  is  said  he  expended  a  thousand 
dollars  tow'ards  the  College,  and  the  same  sum  upon  the 
meeting-house.  He  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  October  1701, 
was  forty-eight  years  a  member  of  the  church,  was  forty  years 
in  the  General  Assembly,  and  nearly  0  years  Chief  Jus- 
tice of  Providence  County  Couit.  He  died  July,  1774,  in 
the  73d  year  of  his  age.     The  Hon.  Joseph  Jenks,  a  mem- 


494      Remabiing  History  of  the  Jenh^  Family. 

ber  of  the  Providence  church,  who  has  lately  removed  to 
the  Narraganset  country,  is  a  grandson  of  this  eminent 
man.  One  of  his  daughters  was  also  the  mother  of  the 
present  Nicholas  Brown,  Esq.  and  Mrs.  Ives.  The  re- 
maining history  of  the  Jenks'  flmiily,  which  will  be  some- 
what more  particular  than  we  usually  give,  may  be  found 
in  the  note  below.* 

•  The  house  built  by  Governor  Jenks  is  now  owned  by  his  great-grand-son, 
George  Jenks  and  Dr.  Manchester  The  part  owned  by  Dr.  Manchester  is 
the  oldest :  in  this  the  Governor  died.  The  other  part  was  built  while  he 
resided  at  Newport  by  one  of  his  sons.  The  one  built  by  Elder  Ebenezer  is 
now  owned  by  James  Mason,  Esq.  Judge  William's  house  is  that  near  to 
Samuel  Slater's,  and  is  now  owned  by  Friend  Moses  Brown  of  Providence. 
Nathaniel's  house  is  now  owned  by  the  widow  and  heirs  of  the  late  Ichabod 
Jenks.  In  this  house  the  Pawtucket  Church  first  covenanted  together.  It 
is  said,  that  the  old  part  at  the  east  end  of  it,  which  is  now  in  tolerable  repair, 
js  the  very  house  built  by  Joseph  Jenks,  the  planter  of  Pawtucket ;  that  It  first 
stood  not  far  from  where  Mr.  Timothy  Green's  house  now  stands,  and  was 
removed  from  that  place  to  its  present  situation.  From  Governor  Jenks  de- 
scended the  Hon.  John  Andrew,  the  Hon.  Peleg  Arnold,  and  the  wife  of  James 
Fenner,  Esq.  late  Governor  of  Rhode-Island. 

From  Elder  Ebenezer  Jenks  descended,  as  we  have  seen.  Judge  Daniel 
Jenks,  Ebenezer  Jenks,  Esq.  Mr.  Esek  Esten,  who  furnished  these  accounts 
of  this  family,  and  the  widow  of  the  late  David  L.  Barns,  Judge  of  the  Dis- 
trict of  Rhode- Island. 

From  Judge  William  descended  Jonathan  Jenks,  one  of  the  members  of 
Providence  church,  who  died  at  Brookfield,  but  was  brought  down  and  buried 
at  Pawtucket.  His  sons  were  Gideon,  Judge  Jonathan,  who  died  at  Win. 
Chester,  and  Nicholas,  now  of  Brookfield,  the  father  of  Hervy  Jenks,  now 
pastor  of  the  church  in  the  city  of  Hudson,  New-York.  Samuel  Eddy,  Esq. 
Secretary  of  State,  and  one  of  the  Providence  Church,  is  connected  by  blood 
to  both  Judge  William  Jenks  of  Pawtucket,  and  Elder  Chad  Brown  of 
Providence. 

From  Nathaniel  descended  a  numerous  family,  many  of  whom  are  in  Paw- 
tucket and  its  vicinity,  and  many  have  removed  to  other  parts.  The  descend. 
?.uts  of  the  late  Captain  Stephen  and  Mr.  Ichabod  Jenks  all  sprang  from 
Major  Nathaniel,  the  second  son  of  the  ancient  and  Hon.  Joseph.  Of  his 
posterity  also  is  Nicholas  Branch,  who  has  lately  been  approbated  as  a  preach- 
er by  tlie  old  Providence  church.  One  of  Governor  Jenks'  grand-children, 
viz.  Joseph,  belongs  to  the  Pawtucket  church,  and  a  great  number  of  the 
great-grand-children  of  him  and  his  three  brothers,  and  some  of  the  fifth 
g'eneration,  belong  to  the  churches  and  congregations  of  Pawtucket  and 
Providence. 

Thus  from  the  ancient  and  Honourable  Joseph  Jenks,  who  was  one  of  the 
Senators  of  the  colony,  or  as  they  call  them  Assistants  of  the  Governor,  have 
descended  a  most  numerous  posterity,  which  it  is  supposed  would,  counting 
them  in  the  male  and  female  lines,  amount  to  eight  or  ten  thousand. 

Among  his  grand-children  were  ten  widows  of  remarkable  character  :  viz. 
Catharine  Turpin,  ancestor  of  a  gentleman  of  that  name,  now  in  Charleston, 
South-Carolina.  At  her  house  the  General  Assembly  of  the  colony  was  held 
for  many  years.  She  died  at  the  age  of  88.  2d,  Catharine  Jenks,  widow 
of  Capt.  Nathaniel,  who  died  in  her  96th  year.  3d,  Bridget,  widow  of  another 
Nathaniel,  who  lived  to  the  age  of  89.  4th,  Experience,  widow  of  Ebenezer 
Jenks,  Esq.  who  lived  to  be  mni-e  than  90.  5th,  Joanna,  widow  of  Judge 
Daniel  Jenks,  who  died  in  her  93d  year.  6th,  Rachel,  widow  of  Cornelius 
Esten,  wlio  lived  to  be  71.  7th,  Mercy,  widow  of  Philip  Wheeler,  who  li\ed 
to  her  80th  year,  and  died  a  member  of  the  Swansea  church.  Blh,  Freelove, 
vidow  of  Jonathan  Jenks,  who  livod  also  to  the  age  of  80.   9tb,  Mercy,  widow 


The  First  Church  In  Newport,  495 

Tlie  next  duster  of  churches,  which  demand  our  atten- 
tion, are^  those  of 

NEWPORT. 

First  Church. — For  the  origin  of  this  church  we  must 
go  back  to  1644,  when  according  to  tradition  it  was  form- 
ed. The  constituents  were  Dr.  John  Clark  and  wife, 
Mark  Lukar,  Nathaniel  West  and  wife,  William  Vaughan, 
Thomas  Clark,  Joseph  Clark,  John  Peckham,  John  Thorn- 
don,  William  and  Samuel  Weeden. 

John  Clark,  M.  D.  was  the  founder  of  this  church  and 
also  its  first  minister.  He  took  the  care  of  them  at  their 
settlement,  and  continued  their  minister  until  his  death, 
vhich  happened  in  1676,  in  the  66th  year  of  his  age. 
He  had  three  wives,  but  left  no  children.  The  Ciarks  now 
in  the  State  sprang  from  his  brothers  Thomas,  Joseph, 
and  Carew.  Where  Mr.  Clark  was  born  is  not  certainly 
known.  In  some  of  his  old  papers  he  is  styled  "John 
Clark  of  London,  Physician  ;"  but  tradition  makes  him 
a  native  of  Bedfordshire.  Neither  can  we  find  where  he 
had  his  education  and  studied  physick  ;  but  we  meet  with 
proofs  of  his  acquaintance  with  the  learned  languages.  In 
his  will  he  gives  to  his  "  dear  friend,  Richard  Bailey,  his 
Hebrew  and  Greek  books  ;  also  (to  use  his  own  words) 
my  Concordance  with  a  Lexicon  to  it  belonging,  written 
by  myself,  being  the  fruit  of  several  years' study."  His 
baptism  and  ordination  are  also  matters  of  uncertainty  ; 
tradition  saith,  that  he  was  a  preacher  before  he  left  Bos- 
ton, but  that  he  became  a  Baptist  after  his  setdement  on 
Rhode-Island  by  means  of  Roger  Williams.  The  cause 
of  his  leaving  Boston  and  the  Massachusetts  colony  has 
been  related  in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter.  An  account 
of  his  imprisonment  at  Boston  may  be  found  under  the 
head  of  Massachusetts.  Soon  after  his  release  from  that 
scene  of  affliction,  he  was  appointed  with  Roger  \Villiams 
to  go  to  England  on  the  business  of  the  Rhode-Island  col- 

©f  Thomas  Comstock  ;  she  was  a  Qiiaker  and  lived  to  the  age  of  90.  10th, 
Patience,  widow  of  John  Olney,  Lsq.  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  score. 
These  ten  widows  were  all  first  cousins,  seven  by  blood,  and  three  by  mar- 
riage, were  all  eminent  for  piety,  and  most  of  them  were  members  of  the 
Providence  Church. 

Some  of  the  eighth  g'eneratiGn  from  this  ancient  Joseph,  are  now  settled  in 
file  State  «f  Ohie. 


496  Account  of  Obadiah  Holmes. 

ony,  where  he  tarried  tv^  elve  years,  and  returned  with  their 
second  charter  in  1663.  "  By  which  it  appeari>,"  says 
Morgan  Edwards,  "  that  Mr,  Clark  had  a  hand  with  Mr. 
WilUams  in  establishing  the  polity  of  this  government, 
that  he  ivithoiit  him^  might  not  be  made  perfect.''^  Mr. 
Clark's  character  as  a  christian  was  unspotted  ;  "as  a  di- 
vine," says  Mr.  Callender,  "  he  was  among  the  first,  who 
publickly  avowed  that  Jesus  Christ  alone  is  king  in  his  ow^n 
kingdom."*  His  sentiments  were  those  of  the  Particular 
Baptists.  His  Narrative  of  the  Sufferings  of  Obadiah 
Holmes,  &.C.  printed  in  London  in  1652,  is  the  only  piece 
of  writings,  which  has  come  down  to  us. 

Successor  to  him  was  Obadiah  Holmes,  who  had  such 
a  terrible  scourging  at  Boston,  for  preaching  the  gospel 
and  baptizing  some  persons  at  Lynn,  an  account  of  which 
has  been  related.  He  had  for  his  assistant  Mr.  Joseph 
Tory,  of  w  horn  we  find  no  more  than  that  he  was  one  of 
the  three  uho  went  to  Boston  in  1668,  to  assist  the  Bap- 
tists in  that  curious  dispute,  of  which  we  have  given  an 
account  in  the  history  of  Massachusetts. 

Mr.  Holmes  was  a  native  of  Preston,  Lancashire,  Eng- 
land ;  arrived  in  America  about  1639,  and  continued  a 
communicant  with  the  Pedobaptists,  first  at  Salem,  then 
at  Rehoboth,  about  eleven  years,  w  hen  he  became  a  Bap- 
tist and  joined  to  this  church.  Afier  he  had  reco\ercd 
from  his  wounds  ii^flictcd  at  Boston,  he  removed  his  fami- 
ly from  Rehoboth  to  Newport,  where  he  found  an  asylum 
from  the  rage  of  his  enemies,  and  in  1652,  the  year  after 
Mr.  Clark  set  sail  for  Eno;land,  was  invested  w  iih  the  pas- 
toral office  which  he  held  till  his  death  in  1682,  aged  76 
years.  Pie  was  buried  in  his  own  field,  where  a  tomb  is 
erected  to  his  memory.  Mr.  Holmes  had  eight  children, 
and  his  posterity  are  spread  in  different  parts  of  New-Eng- 
land, Long-Island,  New-Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  &.c.  "  and 
it  is  supposed,"  says  M.  Edwards,  "could  all  diat  sprang 
from  him  in  the  male  and  female  lines  be  numbered,  they 
would  amount  (in  1790)  to  near  5000.  His  son  Obadiah 
was  long  a  judge  in  New  -Jersey,  and  a  preacher  in  the 
Baptist  chnrch  at  Cohansey.  Another  of  his  sons,  by  the 
name  of  John,  w  as  a  magistrate  in  Philadelphia,  at  the  time 
©f  the  Keithian  separation,  w hich  will  be  mentioned  to- 

•  Centurj'  Sermon,  p.  16. 


Account  of  Mr.  John  Comer,  497 

wards  the  close  of  the  second  volume.  Osie  of  his  grand- 
sons was  alive  in  Newport  in  1770,  in  the  96th  year  of  his 
age. 

After  Mr.  Holmes  vras  Richard  Dingly  and  William 
Peckham,  of  whom  wc  can  Icani  but  little  more  than  that 
they  were  men  of  good  characters  and  useful  in  their  day, 
and  th^t  the  former  went  to  South-Carolina  in  1694.* 

The  fifth  pastor  of  this  church  was  John  Comer,  A.  B, 
He  was  born  in  Boston  in  1704,  began  his  education  at 
Cambridge,  but  finished  it  at  New-Haven.  Before  he  en- 
tered college  he  had  hopefully  experienced  a  gracious 
change;  while  there,  one  of  his  intimate  young  friends,  by 
the  name  of  Crafts,  joined  the  Baptist  church  in  Boston. 
Comer  admonished  him  for  his  departure  from  the  foith, 
and  entreated  him  to  recant ;  but  being  prevailed  on  to 
read  Stennett  on  baptism,  he  became  convinced  of  the 
sentiments  he  had  opposed,  joined  the  same  church  with 
his  friend  Crafts,  and  by  it  was  approbated  to  preach  ia 
1725. t  From  Boston  he  went  to  Swansea,  where  he  was 
invited  to  settle,  but  was  prevented  by  an  invitation  from 
Newport.  Hither  he  came,  and  was  ordained  co-pastor 
with  Mr.  Peckham,  May,  1726.  His  ministry  in  this 
place  was  short  but  successful  ;  by  his  means  singing  in 
publick  was  introduced,  which  had  not  before  been  prac- 
tised. The  laying-on-of-hands  was  held  in  a  lax  manner, 
and  his  attempts  to  urge  it  as  an  indispensable  duty,  though 
not  as  a  term  of  communion,  gave  offence  to  two  leading 
members  in  the  church,  and  was  the  means  of  his  being 
dismissed  from  his  office.  He  afterwards  settled  in  that 
part  of  Rehoboth  called  the  Oak  Swamp,  where  he  gather- 
ed  a  church  in  1732  ;  but  falling  into  a  decline,  he  was 
removed  from  the  scene  of  his  labours,  1734,  in  the  30th 
year  of  his  age.  His  son  John  is  now  a  member  of  the 
church  ill  Warren  in  this  State,  between  eighty  and  ninety 
years  of  age.  Mr.  Comer  bid  fair  to  be  one  of  the  most 
eminent  ministers  of  his  day  ;  his  character  was  unspot- 
ted and  his  talents  respectable  and  popular;  he  had  con*. 
ceived  the  design  of  writing  the  history  of  the  American 
Baptists,  and  for  the  purpose  of  forwarding  it  travelled  as 
far  as  Philadelphia,  opened  a  correspondence  with  persons 
in  the  different  colonies,  and  also  in  England  and  Ireland^ 

*  Backus,  vol.  Ui.  p.  32S.  f  Backus,  vol.  u.  p.  66,  lll.o 


498  Jffr,  John  Callender, 

He  was  curious  in  making  minutes  of  remarkable  events  of 
every  kind  ;  he  also  collected  many  useful  facts  for  his  in- 
tended history.  These  minutes,  in  the  few  years  of  his 
ministry,  swelled  to  two  volumes  folio  of  about  60  pages 
each.  They  are  now  owned  by  his  aged  son  of  Warren, 
and  were  by  him  loaned  to  the  Author.  These  minutes, 
together  with  his  letters  upon  historical  matters  (for  he 
preserved  copies  of  them  all)  have  been  of  singular  advan- 
tage to  Edwards,  Backus,  and  the  writer  of  this  sketch  of 
this  promising  man,  whom  a  mysterious  providence  saw 
fit  to  cut  down  almost  in  the  beginning  of  his  course. 

The  next  in  office  in  this  church  was  John  Callender, 
A.  M.  He  was  a  native  of  Boston,  nephew  of  Elisha 
Callender,  pastor  of  the  old  church  in  that  town,  was  ed- 
ucated at  Cambridge,  and  was  one  of  the  very  few,  who 
enjo}  ed  the  benefit  of  Mr.  Hollis'  donation  to  that  Institu- 
tion. He  became  pastor  of  this  flock  in  1731,  and  acted 
the  part  of  a  good  shepherd  till  his  death,  which  happened 
January  26,  1748.  He  published,  1st,  A  Funeral  Sermon, 
occasioned  by  the  death  of  Rev.  Mr.  Clap,  a  Congregation- 
al minister  of  Newport.  2d,  A  Sermon  preached  at  the 
ordination  of  Mr.  Condy  of  Boston.  3d,  A  Sermon  to 
young  people.  And  4th,  A  Sketch  of  the  History  of 
Rhode- Island  for  a  hundred  years,  usually  known  by  the 
name  of  the  Century  Sermon,  from  which  much  assistance 
has  been  derived  in  the  preceding  sketches  of  this  State. 
Mr.  Callender's  excellent  character  was  thus  drawn  by  Dr. 
Moffit  in  an  epitaph  wliich  may  be  seen  on  his  tomb  in 
Newport  : 

*'  Confident  of  awakiii":,  here  reposeth 

JOHN  CALLENDER; 

Of  very  excellent  endowments  from  nature. 

And  of  an  accomplished  education. 

Improved  by  application  in  the  wide  circle 

Of  the  more  polite  arts  and  useful    sciences. 

From  motives  of  conscience  and  grace 

He  dedicated  himself  to  the  immediate  service 

Of  GOD, 

In  which  he  was  distinguished  as  a  shining 

And  very  burning  light  by  a  true  and  faithful 

Ministry  of  seventeen  years  in  the  first  Baptist 

Church  of  Rhode-Island,  where  the  purity 

And  evangelical  simplicity  of  his  doctrine,  confirmed 

And  embellished  by  the  virtuous  and  devout  tenor 


Edward  Upham,  Erasinus  Kelly.  4S9 

Of  his  own  life. 

Endeared  him  to  his  flock,  and  justly  conciliated 

The  esteem,  love,  and  reverence  of  all  the 

Wise,  worthj',  and  ^ood. 

Much  humatnty,  benevolence  and  charity 

Breathed  in  his  conversation,  discourses  and   writingSj 

Which  were  all  pertinent,  reasonable,  and   useful. 

Recrretted  by  all,  lamented  by  his  friends,  and 

Deeply  deplored  by  a  wife  and  numerous  issue. 

He  died, 

In  the  fortv-second  year  of  his  asre, 

January  20,   1748  ; 

Havino^  strug-o^led  through  the  vale  of  life 

Jn  adversity,  much  sickness,  and  pain, 

With  fortitude,  di;^nity,  and  elevation  of  soul, 

Worthy  of  the  philosopher,  christian  and  divine." 

Mr.  Callender  was  succeeded  by  Edward  Upham,  A.  M. 
who  was  born  at  INialden,  near  Boston,  1709,  was  educated 
at  Cambridge,  and  probably  received  the  benefit  of  Mr. 
Hollis's  donation.  He  became  a  minister  of  this  church 
in  1748,  where  he  continued  until  1771,  when  he  resigned 
his  office  and  returned  to  West-Springfield,  in  Massachu- 
setts, where  he  was  first  settled,  and  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days.  Some  further  account  of  him  may 
be  seen  in  the  history  of  the  West-Springfield  church. 

Next  to  him  was  Erasmus  Kelly,  a  native  of  Buck's 
County,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  uas  born  in  1748.  He 
was  educated  at  the  College  in  Philadelphia,  and  be.^an  to 
preach  in  1769  ;  tuo  years  after,  he  was  called  to  New- 
port  and  was  ordained  the  pastor  of  this  church,  u  hich 
prospered  much  under  his  ministry  until  the  troubles  of 
the  war  obliged  him  to  remo\e  to  Warren,  where  the  ene- 
my followed  him  and  burnt  the  parsonage  house  in  which 
he  lived  with  Mr.  Thompson,  together  with  his  goods, 
November  7,  1778.  After  this  he  tarried  awhile  in  Coti- 
necticut,  and  then  went  back  to  Pennsylvania.  On  the 
return  of  peace  he  resumed  his  charge  at  Newport,  u  hich 
he  continued  not  a  year  before  he  was  removed  by  death 
in  1784. 

Mr.  Kelly  was  succeeded  by  Benjamin  Foster,  D.  D. 
afterwards  pastor  of  the  first  church  in  New- York.  He 
continued  with  them  but  about  three  years. 

In  1790,  Mr.  Michael  Eddy,  their  present  pastor,  was 
settled  among  them.    He  was  born  in  Swansea,  Novem- 


500  Second  Church  in  I^eivpon. 

ber  1,  1760,  and  was  ordained  in  the  second  church  in 
that  town  in  1785.  Tuo  very  considerable  revivals  have 
been  experienced  in  this  church  within  ten  or  twelve  years  ; 
its  present  iiuuibc-r  is  230.  Its  possessions  are  1st,  A 
farnri  of  about  150  acres,  which  now  rents  for  600  dollars 
a  year.  2d,  A  lot  of  30  acres,  rented  for  100  dollars  a 
year.  3d,  A  lot  in  the  town  occupied  by  the  pastor  as  a 
garden.  This  property  was  bequeathed  to  the  church 
by  Mr.  John  Clark  its  founder.  In  addition  to  these  valua- 
ble posstbsioHS,  thev  have,  tor  a  parsonage  house,  the  man- 
sion of  Governor  Lyndon,  which  vvas  bequeathed  to  them. 
bv  that  honourable  member  of  their  Society.  The  Gov- 
.eriior  was  esteemed  a  man  of  piety,  although  he  never  joined 
the  church  ;  he  died  1778,  aged  74.  The  meeting-house 
to  this  church  is  40  feet  by  a  little  under  60.  The  lot  is 
73  feet  by  64,  and  \a  as  given  by  Col.  Hezekiah  Carpen- 
ter. ai'C!  Governor  Lyndon. 

Second  Church. — This  church  originated  in  1656,  when 
twenty-one  persons  broke  off  from  the  first  church,  and 
formed  themselves  into  a  separate  body.  Their  names 
were  William  Vaughan,  Thomas  Baker,  James  Clark, 
Jeremiah  Clark,  Dai'iel  VVightman,  John  Odlin,  Jeremiah 
\V(  tden,  Joseph  Card,  John  Greenman,  Henry  Clark,  Pe- 
leg  Peckham  James  Barker,  Stephen  Hookey,  Timothy 
Peckham,  Joseph  Weeden,  John  Rhodes,  James  Brown, 
John  Hammet,  William  Rhodes,  Daniel  Sabear,  and 
\Viilicim  Greenman. 

These  seceders  objected  against  the  old  body,  1st.  Her 
use  of  psalmody.  2d.  Undue  restraints  upon  the  lib- 
erty of  prophesying,  as  they  termed  it.  3d.  Particular 
Redemption.  4th.  Her  holding  the  laying-on-of-hands 
as  a  matter  of  indifference.  This  last  article  is  supposed 
to  ha\e  been  the  principal  cause  of  the  separation.  Mr. 
Clark  was  now  in  England  on  the  business  of  the  colony  ; 
had  he  been  with  his  church  the  division  might  have  been 
prevented.  Bat  this  is  one  of  the  many  cases  where  simi- 
lar divisions  have  been  overruled  for  good. 

The  three  first  pastors  of  this  church  were  William 
Vuughan,  Thomas  Baker,  and  John  Harden.  The  first 
died  in  1677  ;  the  second  after  ministering  here  awhile, 
removed  and  raised  up  a  church  at  North-Kingston.  The 
third  was  a  native  of  England,  and  died  in  the  pastor?i! 
CHte  of  this  people  in  1700. 


James  Clarhy  Daniel  W'lghtman,  Nicholas  Eyres.    501 

The  fourth  in  succession  was  James  Clark  a  nepheu  of 
Dr.  John.  He  was  ordained  pastor  of  this  flock  in  1701, 
by  Messrs.  Dexter,  Tiihnghast,  and  Brown  of  Provi- 
dence, and  continued  in  good  esteem  until  he  died,  De^ 
cember  1,  1736,  aged  b7. 

Daniel  Wightman  was  his  colleague  and  successor.  He 
was  born  in  Narraganset,  January  2,  1668,  was  ordained 
in  1701,  at  which  time  he  took  the  joint  care  of  the  church 
with  Mr.  Clark.  He  cor.tinued  in  office  uiitil  he  died  in 
1750  aged  82.  He  was  a  man  of  an  excellent  character, 
was  related  to  Valentine  Wightman  of  Groton,  Connec- 
ticut, and  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  descendant  of  Ed- 
ward Wightman,  who  was  burnt  for  heresy  at  Litchfield 
in  1612,  being  the  last  man,  who  suffered  death  for  con- 
science' sake  in  England.* 

The  colleague  and  successor  of  Mr.  Wightman  was  the 
famous  Nicholas  Eyres.  He  was  born  at  a  place  ctilied 
Chipmanslade,  Wilts  county,  England,  August  22,  1691  ; 
came  to  New-York  about  the  year  1711  ;  was  baptized 
aboufthree  years  after  by  Mr.  Wightman  of  Groton,  of 
which  event,  and  also  of  his  ministry  in  that  city,  an  ac- 
count will  be  given  under  the  head  of  New- York.  Octo- 
ber, 1731,  he  set  sail  for  Newport,  in  compliance  with  an 
invitation  from  this  church,  and  the  same  month  was  set- 
tled co-pastor  with  Mr.  Wightman.  "  Mr.  Eyres  left 
behind  him  heaps  of  manuscripts,  some  polemical,  some 
doctrinal,  some  political,  for  which  he  was  every  way 
qualitied."  He  died  February  13,  1759,  and  was  buried 
in  Newport,  where  a  tomb  was  erected  to  his  memory 
with  the  following  inscription  : 

*'  From  an  early  institution  in  the  languages; 
And  mathematical  jearnin"-. 
He  proceeded  \o  the  study  of  the  sacred  scriptures. 
And  from  them  alone  derived 
The  true  christian  science 
Of  the  recovery  of  man 
To  virtue  and  happiness. 
This  he  explained  in  his  pastoral  instructions  ; 
This  he  happily  recommended  in  his  own  example 
Of  gravity,  piety,  and  unblemished  morals. 
Like   his   Divine   master 
In  his  daily  visitations 
He   went  about  doing  good. 

*  See  page  19Gs 


502  Gardner  Thurston,  Joshua  Bradley,  John  B  Gibson, 

He  was  a  friend  to  the  virtuous  of  every  denomination. 

But  a  foe  to  established  error  and  superistition  ; 

An  enemy  to  unscriptural  claims  of  superiority 

Among  the  churches  of  our  common  Lord  ; 

But  of  protestant  liberty  and  the  rights  of  conscience 

An  able  and  steady  defender. 

From  these  distinguishing  strictures 

And  ruling  principles  of  his  character 

Posterity  may  know, 

Or  at  least  have  reason  to  judge, 

That  while  many  monumental  inscriptions 

Perpetuate  the  names  of  those 

Who  will  awake  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt. 

This  stone  transmits  the  memory  of  one, 

Who  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament 

And  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever." 

Mr.  Eyres  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Gardner  Thurston, 
who  was  ordained  the  April  after  his  death.  The  history 
of  this  worthy  man  may  be  found  in  the  biographical  de- 
partment. During  a  part  of  his  ministry,  his  meeting- 
house and  congregation  were  the  largest  among  the  Bap- 
tists in  New-England.*  He  finished  his  long  and  suc- 
cessful course  in  1802. 

Mr.  Joshua  Bradley,  a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  a 
graduate  of  Brown  University  was,  a  few  years  previous  to 
Mr.  Thurston's  death,  ordained  as  co-pastor  with  him; 
Under  his  ministry  large  additions  were  made  to  the 
church  ;  but  in  the  midst  of  a  prosperous  course  he  saw 
fit  to  ask  a  dismission,  and  removed  to  Connecticut ;  he 
has  lately  settled  at  Windsor  in  Vermont. 

Successor  to  Mr.  Bradley  is  Mr.  John  B.  Gibson,  who 
was  settled  among  this  people  in  1807.  He  was  born  in 
Woodbury,  Connecticut,  in  1765  ;  was  first  a  Methodist, 
and  a  preacher  in  their  connexion  about  eight  years  ;  was, 
after  travelling  different  circuits,  located  at  Warren,  Rhode- 
Island,  where  he  became  fully  convinced  of  believers'  bap- 
tism, and  of  the  errors  of  Wesley's  creed;  was  baptized 
by  Mr.  Baker  in  May,  1807,  and  was  ordained  in  the  same 
place  the  June  following. 

The  house  of  worship  belonging  to  this  church  and  con- 
gregation is  76  feet  by  50.  It  stands  on  a  lot  of  140  feet 
by  75.  Adjoining  is  another  lot  50  feet  square,  on  which 
is  a  small  building,  formerly  occupied  as  a  school-house, 

"  Morgan  Edwards. 


Fourth  Nev^port  Church.., Therton  Church.       503 

but  now  it  is  used  for  the  accommodation  of  some  of  the 
poor  members.  Their  funds  are  only  750  dollars  ;  400 
of  which  are  expressly  appropriated  for  the  poor. 

The  old  Sabbatarian  church  in  this  town  will  be  noticed 
under  the  head  of  Seventh  Day  Baptists,  towards  the  close 
of  the  second  volume. 

A  fourth  church  was  formed  in  Newport  in  1788.  It 
was,  till  lately,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Caleb  Green,  who  is 
now  in  Suffield,  Connecticut.  They  have  now  no  one, 
who  is  properly  their  pastor  ;  they,  however,  keep  up  their 
meetings,  and  Elder  William  Moore,  who  is  far  advanced 
in  years,  and  others  among  them,  help  to  carry  them  on. 
Their  number  is  about  75. 

In  Tiverton^  on  the  east  side  of  this  State,  are  three 
churches,  which  arose  in  the  following  manner  :  The  first 
\A  as  formed  in  the  adjoining  town  of  Dartmouth  about 
1685  ;  the  members  at  first  lived  in  Dartmouth,  Tiverton, 
aid  Little  Compton.  Their  first  minister  was  Hugh  Mo- 
sier,  and  next  to  him  was  Aaron  Davis.  This  was  the 
seventh  Baptist  church  formed  on  the  American  continent. 
In  process  of  time  its  seat  was  removed  from  Dartmouth 
to  Tiverton,  where  it  continues  to  the  present  day.  Philip 
Taber  succeeded  Mr.  Davis,  and  ministered  to  this  peo- 
ple until  his  death,  which  happened  in  1752.  He  was 
a  respectable  minister  and  useful  citizen.  During  his 
ministry  an  event  took  place,  which  made  considerable 
noise  both  in  England  and  America.  Tiverton  was  then 
claimed  by  Massachusetts,  and  continued  to  be  until  1741. 
In  1723,  the  Assembly  of  that  Commonwealth  passed  an 
act  to  raise  five  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars,  in  the 
towns  oi  Dartmouth  ai.d  Tiverton,  for  the  support  of  their 
ministers  ;  and  to  blind  the  eyes  of  the  people  in  these 
towns,  who  were  mostly  Quakers  and  Baptists,  this  sum 
Mas  put  in  with  the  province  tax,  and  was  afterwards  to 
ha\e  been  drawn  out  of  the  treasury.*  But  the  assessors 
of  these  towns,  of  whom  Mr.  Taber  was  one,  getting 
knowledge  of  the  dgvise,  refused  to  assess  the  money,  for 
which  they  were  imprisoned  in  Bristol  gaol  about  eighteen 
months,  and  were  then  released  in  obedience  to  an  order 
from  the  Court  of  St.  James,  dated  June,  1724.  The 
names  of  these  sufferers  were,  besides  Mr.  Taber,  Joseph 

*  Stpatggems  of  this  kind  vrere  very  frequent  in  these  times. 


504  Church  in  Warren,  > 

Anthony,  John  Slsson,  and  John  Atkin.  Their  petition 
"was  laid  before  the  clement  prince  George  I.  by  Thoiiias 
Richardson  and  Richard  Partridge,  Quakers,  who  were 
set  forward  and  supported  in  their  embassy  by  the  Society 
of  Friends."* 

Next  to  Mr.  Tal>er  was  David  Rounds  of  Rehoboth^ 
who  ministered  to  the  church  about  thirty  vears.  After 
him  was  Benjamin  Shelden,  and  then  Peleg  Burroughs 
from  Newport,  who  was  settled  among  them  in  1775,  and 
died,  after  a  pious  and  successful  ministry,  in  1800.  In 
1780  and  1781,  he  had  the  happiness  of  receiviiig  to  mem- 
bership in  his  flock  105  persons.  Their  next  pastor  was 
Mr.  Benjamin  Peckham  from  Newport,  who  was  settled 
among  them  in  1801.  In  1805 — 6  a  refreshing  season  of 
an  extensive  nature  was  granted  to  this  people,  and  about 
100  were  added  to  their  number. 

From  this  church  proceeded  the  second  in  Tiverton  in 
1788,  which  is  now  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Job  Borden  ; 
and  in  1808  another  church  was  formed  from  the  old  body, 
at  Howland's  Bridge,  in  the  same  town. 

Warren. — This  church  was  constituted  October  15, 
1764,  one  of  the  constituents  was  Dr.  Manning,  then  re- 
siding in  the  town  ;  most  of  the  other  members  had  pre-^ 
viously  belonged  to  the  old  church  ii  Stvansea,  only  three 
miles  distant.  Mr.  Manning  took  the  care  of  this  church 
at  its  beginning,  and  continued  with  them  till  1770,  when 
he  removed  with  the  College  to  Providence. 

Successor  to  him  was  Mr.  Charles  Thompson,  A.  M. 
one  of  the  first  graduates  of  the  college,  which  began  its 
movements  in  this  tow^n.  Mr.  Fhornpson  was  born  at 
Amwell,  New-Jersey,  iVpril  14,  1748,  was  ordained  at 
Warren  in  1771,  by  Messrs.  Ebenezer  Hinds  of  Middle- 
borough,  and  Noah  Alden,  of  B-ilingiiam.  He  was  a 
chaplain  in  the  army  almost  three  years  of  the  first  part  of 
the  Revolutionary  War ;  and  it  was  wiiile  he  was  at  home 
on  a  visit,  that  the  B  itish  came  up  to  Warren,  burnt  the 
meeting  and  parsonage  houses,  carried  him  to  Newport, 
and  confined  him  in  a  guard  ship,  from  which  he  was  re- 
leased in  about  a  month,  by  what  means  he  never  knew. 
After  this  he  preached  a  short  time  in  Pomfret,  (Connecti- 
cut, and  as  the  church  at  Warren  was  mostly  dispersed, 

•  Backus,  vol,  ii.  p.  70,  73. 


Bristol  Church,  505 

and  many  of  them  had  gone  back  to  the  mother  church  at 
Swansea,  he,  by  the  invitation  of  that  body,  became  their 
pastor  in  1779  or  1780.  In  this  situation  he  continued  23 
years,  when  he  removed  to  Charlestown,  Massachusetts, 
where  he  died,  May  1,  1803,  in  the  56th  year  of  his  age. 
His  widow  and  three  of  hi.^  children  are  now  settled  in 
Warren.  Mr.  Thompson  left  behind  him  an  unblemished 
character,  and  a  large  circle  of  cordial  friends.  His  MS. 
writings  were  numerous,  but  nothing  of  his  has  appeared 
in  print. 

It  was  not  till  after  the  war  that  the  church,  under  con- 
sideration, resumed  its  travel  as  a  distinct  body  ;  they  had, 
for  about  eight  years  after  their  dispersion,  stood  as  a  branch 
of  the  church  at  Swansea. 

In  1784,  they  built  their  present  meeting-house,  on  the 
same  ground  where  their  former  one  stood.  It  is  61  feet 
by  44.,  and  has  a  steeple  and  bell.  About  two  years  after 
this  house  was  built,  Mr.  John  Pitman  settled  in  the  town, 
and  ministered  to  this  people  till  1790,  when  he  removed 
to  Providence.  After  him  Mr.  Nathaniel  Cole,  now  in 
Plainfield,  Connecticut,  and  others  preached  here  occa- 
sionally, till  1793,  when  Mr.  Luther  Baker,  their  present 
pastor,  \Aas  ordained.  He  was  born  in  the  town,  June  11, 
1770.  Under  his  ministry  some  very  considerable  revivals 
have  been  experienced.  In  the  year  1805,  over  ninety  were 
added  to  their  number.  In  September,  1812,  immediate- 
ly after  the  session  of  that  Association,  which  took  its 
name  from  this  town,  another  revival  commenced,  in 
which  over  sixty  were  baptized  in  the  course  of  a  few 
months.  This  church  has  a  fund  of  about  fourteen  hun- 
dred dollars. 

Bristol. — This  town  is  five  miles  south  of  Warren,  and 
is  next  in  size,  and  in  point  of  commercial  importance,  to 
Providence  and  Newport.  It  was,  until  1741,  claimed  by 
Massachusetts,  and,  being  a  shire  town,  its  gaol  was  the 
frequent  receptacle  of  Baptists,  Quakers,  and  others,  who 
were  so  heretical  as  not  to  pay  their  parish  taxes.  From 
this,  and  other  causes,  the  Baptists  gained  but  little  influ- 
ence here,  until  long  after  the  Pedobaptists  had  acquired 
a  permanent  standing.  But  the  principles  of  believers* 
baptism  have  at  length  forced  their  way  throuo;h  the  bar- 
riers of  antiquated  errors,  and  a  church  has  been  formed, 
VOL,  I.  64 


506'  Ministers  of  Bristol  Churclu 

which  bids  fair  to  flourish  and  prevail.  It  arose  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  :  In  1780,  Mrs.  Hopestlll  Munro,  the  wife 
of  Hezekiah  Munro,  was  led  to  embrace  the  Baptist  sen- 
timents, and  was  the  first  person  in  the  town  from  time 
immemorial,  who  submitted  to  baptism  in  the  Apostolical 
mode.*  A  few  months  after  was  baptized  the  wife  of 
Mr.  Daniel  Lefavour,  who  died  about  fifteen  years  ago, 
with  a  well  grounded  hope  of  immortality.  On  her  death- 
bed, she  left  a  solemn  injunction  on  her  husband,  to  give 
unconditionally  seven  hundred  dollars  for  the  support  of 
the  ministry  in  Bristol,  whenever  there  should  arise  a 
church  of  the  same  faith  and  order  with  the  one  at  War- 
ren under  the  care  of  Mr.  Baker.  This  sum  her  husband 
bequeathed  in  his  Will,  dated  May,  1797,  was  entrusted 
with  the  Warren  church,  and  has  now  increased  to  near 
fifteen  hundred  dollars.  The  next  person  baptized  in 
this  place  was  Mrs.  Hannah  Martin,  who  is  still  living. 
Thus  slowly  progressed  the  Baptist  interest  in  Bristol,  un- 
til 1801,  when  Dr.  Thomas  Nelson,  whose  name  has  been 
mentioned  in  the  account  of  the  second  church  in  Middle- 
borough,  setded  in  the  place  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion. By  his  means  Baptist  preachers  were  procured  to 
visit  the  town,  among  whom  were  Elders  Simeon  Coombs 
and  Joseph  Cornell,  whose  labours  were  greatly  blessed. 
And  in  1811,  a  church  was  formed,  which  at  first  consist- 
ed of  only  23  members,  but  has  since  increased  to  56. 
This  church  has  been  supplied  a  year  since  its  constitu- 
tion by  Mr.  James  M.  Winchell,  a  native  of  North-Eas- 
town,  New- York,  who  lately  finished  h.is  education  at 
Providence.  Since  the  history  of  the  first  church  in  Eos- 
ton  was  sent  to  press,  Mr.  Winchell  has  gone  to  visit  that 
people,  with  whom  there  is  a  prospect  of  his  settling. 
And  very  lately  Mr.  Barnabas  Bates,  of  Barnstable,  has 
accepted  a  call  to  settle  with  this  church.  They  meet 
now  in  a  commodious  hall,  called  the  Tabernacle,  in  Dr. 
Nelson's  house,  which  he  has  fitted  up  for  the  purpose, 
but  are  making  exertions  to  erect  a  house  for  worship,  and 
it  is  sincerely  hoped  that  the  neighbouring  churches  will 

*  According  to  Mr.  Comer,  a  Mr.  Carpenter  w  as  baptized  by  immersion 
in  this  town  by  Rev.  Mr.  Usher,  an  Episcopalian  minister,  in  1725.  The  year 
after,  five  persons  in  Rehoboth  were  baptized  in  the  same  mode  by  Mr.  V\^- 
got  of  that  denomination.  The  year  after  that,  ;i  woman  was  immersed  in 
Newport  by  Dr.  M'  Sparran,  of  Narrag-anset.  Backus,  vol.  ii.  p.  112. 


Account  of  the  first  General  Cowoention,  507 

lend  them  their  aid.  Mrs.  Munro,  first  mentioned,  has 
lately  given  them  a  deed  of  an  estate  valued  at  a  thousand 
dollars.  This,  with  their  other  funds,  amount  to  two 
thousand  seven  hundred  dollars. 

A  short  time  since  there  was  a  very  remarkable  revival 
in  this  tovv  n  ;  not  far  from  two  hundred  were  hopeiully 
awakened  to  religious  concern  ;  a  considerable  number  of 
them  were  buried  in  baptism,  but  few,  however,  compara- 
tively, united  with  the  Baptists.  The  additions  were 
made  mostly  to  the  Congregational,  EpiscopaUan,  and 
Methodist  churches. 

Oil  the  west  side  of  the  Narraganset  Bay,  in  the  coun- 
ties of  Kent  and  Washington,  are  a  considerable  number 
of  churches,  of  which  our  limits  prevent  our  giving  a  very 
particular  account.  A  few  of  them  are  of  ancient  dace, 
some  arose  in  and  after  the  New-Light  Stir,  and  others 
have  arisen  W'ithin  a  few  years  past. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  some  account  of  the  Associa- 
tions, which  have  originated  in  this  State,  and  to  which  the 
Rhode- island  churches  now  belong. 

At  what  time  the  churches  in  this  State  began  to  asso- 
ciate I  do  not  find,  but  it  was  probably  at  an  early  period. 
Mr.  Comer  gives  an  account  of  an  Association  or  General 
Convention,  as  it  was  then  called,  1729,  which  was  suppos- 
ed to  have  been  the  largest  assemblage  of  brethren  they 
had  ever  witnessed.  Thirteen  churches  were  represented, 
and  the  whole  nimiber  of  messengers  was  thirty-two. 
The  churches  composing  this  convention  were  the  one  in 
Providence,  the  second  in  Newport,  two  in  S  nitnfieid, 
and  one  in  each  of  the  towns  of  Scituate,  Warwick,  North 
and  South-Kingston.  In  other  colonies  were  the  one  in 
Dartmouth,  now  the  first  in  Tiverton,  the  second  in  S  van- 
sea,  and  those  of  Groton,  New-London,  and  Ne\v-Yirk. 
The  a'linisters  belonging  to  the>e  chinxhes  vvere  of  Prov- 
idence, James  Brown  ;  of  Smithfield,  Jonathan  Sprague  ; 
of  Scituate,  Peter  Place  and  Samuel  Fisk  ;  of  N^svport, 
James  Clark,  Daniel  VVightman,  and  Jolin  Comer,  thea 
supplying  them  after  his  dismission  from  the  first  church  ; 
of  Warwick,  Manasseh  Mardn;  of  North- Kingston,  Rich- 
ard Sweet;  of  South-Kingston,  Daniel  Everett  ;  of  Swan- 
sea, Joseph  Mason  ;  of  Dartm  nth.  Phillip  Taber  ;  of  Gro- 
on,  Valentine  Wightnian  ;  of  New-London,  Stephen  Gor- 


508  Warren  Association, 

ton  ;  of  New- York,  Nicholas  Eyres.  Ten  of  these  minis- 
ters were  present  ;  the  number  of  communicants  at  the 
convention  were  250,  and  the  number  of  auditors  about 
1000.  The  churches  were  all  strenuous  for  the  laying-on- 
of-hands,  and  were  generally  inclined  to  those  doctrinal 
sentiments,  which  in  England  would  have  denominated 
them  General  Baptists.  At  the  same  time  there  were  the 
first  churches  in  Newport,  Swansea,  and  Boston,  who  held 
decidedly  to  particular  election,  and  who  did  not  practise 
the  imposition  of  hands,  and  for  these  reasons  were  not 
members  of  the  Association.  Tiiese  sixteen  churches 
comprehended  at  that  time  all  the  Baptists  this  side  of 
New- Jersey. 

It  is  now  (1813)  eighty-four  years  since  this  great  As- 
sociation, as  it  was  then  esteemed,  was  held  ;  very  con- 
siderable changes  have  taken  place  in  most  of  the  church- 
es of  which  it  was  then  composed  ;  but  the  same  body  on 
the  same  plan  of  doctrine  and  discipliiie,  still  exists  under 
the  name  of  the  Rhode-Island  Yearly  Meeting.  This 
meeting,  on  account  of  its  making  tire  laying-on-of- 
hands  a  term  of  communion,  and  its  inclination  to  the 
Arminian  system  of  doctrine,  has  no  connexion  with  any 
of  the  neighbouring  Associations.  It  contains  thirteen 
churches,  twelve  ministers,  and  over  eleven  hundred 
members.  Eight  of  the  churches  are  in  this  State,  the 
others  are  in  Massachusetts  and  New- York. 

WARREN    ASSOCIATION. 

This  body  was  formed  in  the  place  from  which  it  took 
its  name  in  1767,  at  which  time  three  ministers*  from  the 
Philadelphia  Association  came  on  with  a  letter  to  encour- 
age the  measure.  Only  four  churches  at  first  associated, 
viz.  Warren,  Haverhill,  Bellingham,  and  the  second  in 
Middleborough.  The  delegates  from  six  other  churches 
were  present,  but  they  did  not  feel  themselves  ready  to 
proceed  in  the  undertaking.  As  the  annual  commence- 
ment of  the  college  had  been  fixed  on  the  first  Wednes- 
day of  September,  the  anniversary  of  the  Association  was 
appointed  the  Tuesday  after.  This  arrangement  is  still 
observed.     The  second  and  third  sessions  of  this  Associa- 

*  Mr.  Backus  has  not  mentioned  their  names.    Dr.  Jones  and  Morgan  Ed- 
wards were  probably  two  of  them. 


Separation  of  Warren  Association.  509 

tion  were  held  in  the  place  where  it  was  formed.  The 
fourth  was  at  Bellingham  and  the  fifth  at  Sutton  in  1771, 
by  which  time  it  had  increased  to  20  churches  and  over 
800  members.  This  year  they  began  to  print  their  Mia- 
utes,  and  have  continued  to  do  so  to  the  present  time. 
The  two  churches  in  Boston  fell  in  with  this  establi^^h- 
jnent  a  few  years  after  it  was  begun,  but  it  uas  some  tiiue 
before  the  Providence  church,  which  is  now  the  oldest  a;.d 
largest  in  it,  could  be  brought  into  its  measures.  The  doc- 
trine of  the  laying-on-of-hands  was  probably  the  principal 
cause  of  this  delay.  This  Association  for  a  number  of 
years  included  a  large  circle  of  churches,  which  Mere  scat- 
tered over  a  wide  extent  of  country  in  Rhode-Island,  Mas- 
sachusetts, New-Hampshire,  Vermont,  and  ConFiectieut. 
Most  of  thein  were  however  in  Massachusetts,  arid  in  pro- 
cess of  time  Boston  became  not  far  from  its  centre.  It 
has,  from  its  beginning,  been  a  flourishing  and  influential 
body  ;  has  contained  a  number  of  ministers  of  eminent 
standing  in  the  Baptist  connexion  ;  has  successfully  op- 
posed the  encroachments  of  religious  oppression  ;  has  aid- 
ed the  designs  of  the  college  at  Providence  \  has  devised 
plans  of  a  literary  and  missionary  nature  ;  and  has  been 
more  or  less  concerned  in  whatever  measures  have  had  a 
view  to  the  promotion  of  the  cause  of  truth,  of  the  Baptist 
interest  in  New- England,  and  remoter  regions.  By  this 
body  were  presented  many  addresses  to  the  rulers  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  some  to  the  continental  Congress  against 
civil  oppressions  for  conscience'  sake  ;  by  it  also  were  is- 
sued many  publications  in  defence  of  religious  freedom. 
It  was  almost  constantly  employed  in  measures  of  this  kind 
from  its  formation  to  the  close  of  the  war  in  1783  ;  and 
no  small  success  attended  its  exertions. 

After  travelling  in  union  upwards  of  forty  years,  and 
witnessing  within  its  bounds  much  of  the  divine  goodness, 
it  had  become  so  large  that  its  division  appeared  indispen- 
sable, and  accordingly  a  new  one  was  formed,  called  the 
Boston  ;  of  which  we  have  already  given  a  brief  account. 
Thus  the  staff  has  become  two  bands,  which  together  con- 
tain 65  churches,  53  ministers,  and  almost  7000  members. 

In  the  south- west  part  of  this  State,  in  the  counties'of 
Kent  and  Washington,  are  eleven  churches,  which  belong 
to  the  Stonington  and  Groton  Associations  in  Connecticut. 


510  Extract  from  Dr.   Worcester'' s  Letter. 

Some  of  them  arose  in  the  New-Light  Stir  in  Whitefield's 
time.  The  church  at  Exeter,  belonti-ing  to  the  Stonington 
Association,  was  formed  in  1750  ;  it  has  ever  been  a 
Eourishing  body,  and  now  contains  over  250  members, 
and  is  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Gershom  Pahiier. 

The  large  Sabbatarian  church  at  Hopkinton  will  be  no- 
ticed under  the  head  of  Seventh-Day  Buptists  towards  the 
close  of  the  second  volume. 

We  shall  now  close  the  history  of  this  State  with  some 
brief  remarks. 

We  have  already  quoted  some  of  the  calumniating  ac- 
counts, which  have  been  gi\en  of  the  people  in  this  State, 
and  the  following  extract  will  show  that  they  now  stand  no 
higiier  in  the  estimation  of  some  of  their  Pedobaptist  neigh- 
bours than  formerly.  Dr.  W^orcester,  of  Salem,  in  his 
epistolary  dispute  with  Dr.  Baldwin,  of  Boston,  found  it 
necessary  to  resort  to  a  State,  which  was  founded  by  an 
exile  from  his  own  government,  for  arguments  against  his 
opponent.  "  Was  not  Rhode-Island,"  said  he,  *'  origin- 
ally settled  on  Antipedobaptist  principles?  Have  not  those 
principles  there  been  left  to  their  free  and  uncontrolled 
operation  and  influence  ?  To  these  interrogations  there 
can  be  but  one  answer.  If  then,"  continues  he,  "  the 
principles  of  Antipedobaptism  were  true  and  scriptural, 
might  we  not  look  to  Rhode- Island  for  a  more  general 
prevalence  of  divine  knowledge,  a  more  general  and  sacred 
observance  of  divine  institutions,  more  pure  and  flourishing 
churches,  and  more  of  the  spirit  of  primitive  Christianity, 
than  is  to  be  expected  in  almost  any  other  part  of  the 
globe  ?  But  what  is  the  actual  result  of  this  experiment  ? 
Alas  !  let  the  forsaken,  decayed  houses  of  God — let  the 
profaned  and  unacknowledged  day  of  the  Lord — let  the 
unread  and  even  exiled  oracles  of  divine  truth — let  the 
neglected  and  despised  ordinances  of  religion — let  the  dear 
children  and  youth,  growing  up  in  the  most  deplorable 
ignorance  of  God,  his  word,  and  sacred  institutions — let 
Xh^fciv  friends  of  Zion,  weeping  in  secret  places  over  her 
desert,  her  aficcting  and  wide-spread  desert  around  them — 
let  the  deeply-impressed  missionaries,  who,  in  obedience 
to  the  most  urgent  calls,  have  been  sent  by  Pedobaptist  so- 
cieties into  different  parts  of  the  State — be  allowed  to  tes- 
tify !  If  there  be  religion  th^re,  is  it  not  almost  wholly  con- 


R€7narks  on  Dr.  PFbrcester^s  Letter,  511 

fined  to  those  places  iti  which  Pedobaptist  churches  are 
established,  and  a  Pedobaptist  uifiuence  has  effect '?  Witness 
the  late  revivals  !" 

This  gloomy  and  affecting  picture  was  drawn  but  three 
or  four  years  ago.  It  is  doubted  whether  this  Rev.  Doctor 
was  ever  in  the  State,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  outlines 
of  his  doleful  picture  were  furnished  by  those  slanderous 
missionaries,  whose  urgent  calls  for  eight  dollars  a  ueek, 
led  them  to  travel  in  it.*  The  candid  reader  will,  doubt- 
less, consider  the  following  statement  a  sufficient  refutation 
of  this  ungenerous  calumny.  There  are  thirty-six  Baptist 
churches  iii  Rliode-Ibland  in  which  are  over  five  thousand 
communicants,  who  have  all  been  received  upon  a  verbal 
relation  of  their  religious  experience  ;  pertaining  to  the 
denomination  are  about  thirty  meeting-houses  in  good  re- 
pair,! besides  a  number  of  others  in   which  meetings  are 

*  We  know  not  what  other  urg-ent  calls  these  deeply-impressed  missiona- 
ries l»ave  to  travel  in  Rhode-Island.  It  is  certain  the  Baptists  do  not  call 
them,  for  they  have  but  little  faith  in  their  commission — the  Qiiakers  will  not 
hear  them,  because  they  do  not  think  tliey  are  moved  by  the  Spirit  to  teach — 
and  it  cannot  be  that  there  are  any  of  Dr.  Worcester's  Pedobaptists  in  those 
"  deserts,  those  affecting-  wide-spread  deserts,"  which  they  visit,  for  their  influ- 
ence would  soon  convert  them  into  celestial  regions.  We  will  not  dispute 
about  their  urgent  calls — but  we  know  well  enough,  that  they  roam  aroimd 
the  rocks  and  forests  of  Burrillville,  Gloucester,  &c.  the  most  destitute  parts 
of  the  State,  and  from  their  scanty  survey  represent  the  whole  of  it  as  sunk 
into  the  most  deplorable  condition  of  profaneness  and  barbarism. 

t  In  this  list  of  churches,  we  do  not  reckon  a  number,  which,  by  deaths 
and  removals,  have  so  far  declined,  that  they  have  in  a  measure  lost  tlieir 
visibility,  although  many  worthy  members  remain  to  mourn  over  tlie  broken 
walis  of  their  Zion.  We  may  add  to  this  account  ot  meeting-houses,  that  there 
are  many  new  commodious  school-houses,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  tiie  Fac- 
tories, built  by  their  owTiers  on  purpose  for  the  accommodation  of  meetings  as 
well  as  schools.  Publick  worship  is  also  maintained  either  statedly  or  occa- 
sionally in  academies,  court-houses,  and  halls  of  different  kinds,  in  divers 
parts  of  the  State.  Besides  the  meeting-houses  we  have  reckoned  in  good  re- 
pair, thej-e  are  a  considerable  number  which  are  not  so.  But  it  ought  to  be 
observed  that  within  this  present  century,  many  new  houses  have  been  built, 
and  of  the  remainder  a  number  have  been  built  anew,  enlarged,  or  repaired, 
since  the  last  war.  Of  the  houses  of  worship  belonging  to  our  churches  in 
some  of  the  principal  towns,  we  have  already  given  brief  descriptions  ;  the 
first  which  were  erected  in  the  country  were  mostly  small,  and  tlie  structure 
and  finishing  of  them  varied  according  to  the  means  of  the  builders.  It  was 
not  uncommon  for  churches,  as  they  branched  out,  to  have  two  or  three  meet- 
ing-houses for  their  use.  Many  ol  these  have  either  fallen  or  are  falling  into 
decay.  1st.  Because  they  were  built  too  slightly  to  be  worth  repairing,  or 
Were  not  well  contrived  for  enlargement.  2d.  Because,  in  process  of  time, 
they  were  left  out  of  the  centre  of  the  congregations.  But  while  they  have  been 
left  to  decay,  others  more  spacious  and  durable,  and  in  more  eligible  situa- 
tions have  been  erected  in  their  stead,  But  when  Dr.  Worcester's  missiona- 
ries pass  one  of  these  old  houses,  they  look— —-they  wonder they  sigh 


512      Statement  of  religious  Affairs  in  Rhode- Island' 

held,  and  which  will  probably  be  fitted  up  in  better  order, 
when  the  gracious  Lord  shall  again  revive  his  work  in  their 
vicinities.  There  are  now,  and  have  been  for  a  great  ma- 
ny years,  over  forty  stated  meetings  among  the  Baptists 
in  tliis  State,  besides  many  occasional  ones  in  school-houses, 
private  dwellings,  &c.  Of  other  denominations,  there  arc 
eighteen  congregations  of  Quakers  or  Friends,  the  same 
number  of  meeting-houses,  in  which  they  statedly  assem- 
ble t\^  ice  a  week,*  and  in  their  community  they  reckon 
1150  members;  there  are  eleven  churches  of  Congrega- 
tionalists,  as  many  houses  of  worship,  and  probably  not 
far  from  1000  communicants  ;  there  are  four  Episcopal 
churches,  fourteen  Methodist  Societies,  a  few  churches  of 
those  who  call  themselves  Christians,  a  Moravian  Chapel, 
and  a  Synagogue  for  Jews. 

Thus  it  appears  there  are  about  90  religious  societies 
in  the  thirty-one  towns  of  Rhode-Island,  in  which  publick 
worship  is  constandy  maintained  ;  and  to  these  societies 
appertain  at  least  seventy  houses  of  worship,  which  are 
neither  decayed  nor  forsaken.  These  societies  all  maintain 
the  ordinances  of  religion  according  to  their  different  views 
of  propriety  ;  ihe  orac/es  of  truth  ihGy  h^ve  neither  exiled 
nor  incorporated  with  their  civil  code  ;  and  their  Bible 
Society  lately  established  can  furnish  with  the  word  of  life 
all  \\  ho  have  need.  As  to  those  children  for  whom  this 
compassionate  Doctor  shows  so  much  regard,  we  will  only 
say,  they  can  teach  divines  of  Massachusetts  better  divinity 
than  to  fatten  on  the  spoils  of  conscientious  dissenters,  and 
more  civility  than  to  defame  their  fellow  men  of  whose  af- 
fairs they  are  ignorant. 

This  statement  of  the  religious  affairs  of  Rhode-Island, 
which  is  made  not  from  conjecture  and  vague  report,  but 
from  actual  survey,  from  absolute,  uncontrovertible  matters 
of  f-ict,  it  is  hoped,  \\  ill,  in  the  view  of  some  at  least,  dis- 

anJ  in  llieir  memorandums  write  against  the  whole  State,  mene,  mene, 
lEKEL,  uniARSiN.  Tlicsc  memorandums  cloiibtlcss  furnisl)ecl  materials  for 
the  afi'ecling  picture  of  this  unjjenerous  adversary.  Where  houses  of  wor- 
ship are  ere  cted,  churcl.es  gatliered,  and  ministers  supported  by  tlie  aid  of 
law,  they  may  all  reniain  in  a  permanent  and  si)lendid  form.  li  would  be  a 
ss'd  c:.se  indeed  if  some  benefits  did  not  arise  from  the  evil  of  ecclesiastical 
estublisiiments  In  those  parts  of  tlie  United  States,  where  houses  of  wor- 
ship are  built  an  1  ministers  supported,  not  by  legal  taxes,  but  bv  the  volunta- 
i-y  contriliutions  of  their  pn'rons  changes,  similar  to  those  we  have  described 
in  Rhode-Island,  as  the  Author  knows  from  observation,  have  been,  and  are 
BOW  taking  place,  not  only  among^the  Baptists,  but  all  other  denomi nations. 


Religions  Character  of  Rhode- Island  maintained.     513 

pel  somen  hat  of  the  horrid  gloom  of  Dr.  Worcester's  pic- 
ture. And  as  a  proof  that  the  Divine  Spirit  has  not  with- 
drawn from  the  Antipedobaptist  churches,  whose  princi- 
ples he  would  represent  as  blasting  and  pestiferous  as  the 
tree  of  Java,  we  would  state,  with  gratitude  to  the  Father  of 
mercies,  that  over  a  thousand  persons  have  been  hopefully 
born  into  the  kingdom,  buried  in  baptism,  and  added  to 
their  number  within  six  or  seven  3^ears  past.  To  a  num- 
ber of  othtr  societies  there  have  also  been  large  additions. 

The  reader  must  keep  in  mind  that  this  State  is  but 
about  as  large  in  extent  as  the  adjoining  county  of  Worces- 
ter ;  its  number  of  inhabitants  is  but  about  twice  as  large 
as  Boston  and  Charlestown  together,  and  not  equal  to  the 
city  of  New-York.  And  it  is  believed  by  those  best  ac- 
quainted with  it,  that  there  are  as  many  real  christians,  if 
not  so  many  professors  of  religion,  in  this,  as  in  any  terri- 
tory of  the  same  extent  in  any  of  the  neighbouring  States. 

It  is  acknou  ledged  that  in  some  of  the  country  towns  ia 
this  State,  too  many  of  the  inhabitants  live  a  careless,  ir- 
religious life,  disregard  the  Sabbath,  and  neglect  the  wor- 
ship of  God.  But  Pedobaptists  are  mistaken  when  they 
ascribe  the  conduct  of  these  people  to  the  influence  of 
Baptist  principles.  The  accusation  is  unfounded,  unfair, 
and  egregiously  false.  These  people  are  under  the  influ- 
ence of  no  principles  of  a  religious  kind,  and  many  of 
them  are  the  descendants  of  progenitors  of  the  same  char- 
acter, who  fled  to  this  asylum  of  freedom  during  the  reiga 
of  ecclesiastical  terror  in  the  neighbouring  colonies.  It 
has  always  been  found  that  men  of  no  religious  principles 
are  as  desirous  of  liberty  of  conscience  as  real  christians, 
and  we  may  furthermore  add,  it  is  just  they  should  enjoy 
it.  From  ecclesiastical  establishments  there  always  have 
been  a  multitude  of  dissenters  of  this  character,  and  not  a 
few  of  them  were  found  amongst  the  early  settlers  of  Rhode- 
Island.  The  maxims  of  the  government  were  suited  to 
their  views  ;  their  money  was  not  distrained  for  the  sup- 
port of  religious  teachers,  neither  were  they  fined  for 
not  attending  the  worship  of  God.  Mr.  Cotton  of  Boston 
taught  that  men  had  "  better  be  hypocrites  than  profane 
persons,"  that  "  hypocrites  give  God  part  of  his  due,  the 
outward  man,"   &c.*      But  the  Rhode-Island  rulers  had 

•  See  page  378. 

VOL.  I.  65 


514      Account  of  the  First  Settlers  of  Rhode- Island. 

no  belief  in  this  logic.      If  the  subjects  of  their  goveni- 
ment  performed  the  duty  of  citizens,  they  required  noth- 
ing more  ;  the  regulation  of  religious  opinions  they  left 
to  the  Searcher  of  hearts,  and  all  were  free  to  possess  \\'hat 
religion  best  accorded  with  their  views,  or  none  at  all,  if 
they  chose.      They  could   not    maintain  the   foundation 
principle  of  the  colony,  and  do  otherwise.     But  this  same 
principle  subjected  them  to  inconveniences  for  which  there 
was  no  remedy.      And  the  same  inconvenience  has  hap- 
pened in  every  country  where  the  standard   of  freedom, 
whether  civil  or  religious,   has  been  set   up.     With  the 
Taborites  of  B  )hemia,  under  Ziska  and  Procopius,  with 
the  Independents  of  England,  in  the  time  of  the  Common- 
wealth, among  the  Baptists  of  Germany,  in  their  struggles 
for  religious   freedom,    as   well   as   with  the   planters  of 
Rhode- island,  were  associated  many  characters,  who  un- 
derstood not  their  principles,   either  civil  or  religious,  but 
who  perverted  them  to  purposes,  which  were  never  intend- 
ed.    Roger  Williams,    on  a  certain  occasion,   in  imitation 
of  a  noble  Greek,  thanked  God,  that  he  had  been  the  au- 
thor of  that   very  liberty  by   which  his  enemies  dare  to 
abuse  him.     A  letter  of  this  renowned  legislator,  explain- 
ing more  fully  this  subject,  will  be  given  in  the  Appendix. 

I  find  Mr.  Callender  in  his  Century  Sermon,  delivtred 
seventy.five  years  ago,  in  repelling  the  calumnies,  which 
were  then  cast  upon  Rhode- Island,  on  account  of  these 
irreligious  people,  observes,  that  among  the  first  settlers  of 
the  State,  who  were  "  a  pious  generation,  men  of  virtue 
and  godliness,"  some  intruded  themselves  of  a  very  differ- 
ent genius  and  spirit.  He  also  assures  us,  that  "  there 
scarcely  ever  was  a  time,  the  hundred  years  (then)  past, 
in  which  there  was  not  a  weekly  publick  worship  of  God 
attended  at  Newport  and  in  the  other  first  towns  of  the 
colony." 

Governor  Hopkins,  about  fifty  years  ago,  speaking  of 
this  circumstance,  has  a  train  of  observations  similar  to 
those  of  Mr.  Callender.* 

We  do  not  pretend  that  all  the  careless  people  of  the 
State  descended  from  those  unprincipled  settlers,  whom 
the  persecutions  of  the  other  colonies  drove  to  this  asylum. 
Some  of  them  are  the  descendants  of  pious  progenitors. 

*  Providence  Gazette,  for  March,  ir65. 


Fines  for  Non-attendance  atpublick  Worship.        515 

who  have  not  inherited  their  virtues,  but  have  run  counter 
to  their  instructions,  and  happy  for  Pedobaptists  if  they 
have  no  occasion  to  mourn  on  the  same  account. 

If  the  Rhode-Island  people  had  established  relis^ion  by 
law,  they  would  have  been  excused  from  all  the  reproaches 
which  are  now  cast  upon  them. 

It  would  be  an  easy  but  invidious  task,  to  find  places 
enough  in  Massachusetts,  notwithstanding  all  their  laws, 
as  destitute  of  religion,  and  as  careless  of  publick  worship,  as 
any  of  the  back  towns  of  Rhode-Island.*  But  we  are  now 
engaged  only  on  the  defensive. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  the  two  Baptist  churches  in  , 
Providence  and  Nev.port,  founded  b}  Roger  Williams  and 
John  Clark,  have  always  maintained  a  respectable  standing, 
ha\  e  had  a  regular  succession  of  worthy  pastors,  now  to- 
gether contain  almost  seven  hundred  members,  have  con- 
gregations large  and  opulent,  and  possess  each  of  them 
larger  estates  tlian  any  Baptist  church  in  America,  except 
the  first  in  Philadelphia. 

While  new  churches  have  arisen  in  some  parts,  in  others, 
those,  which  were  once  large  and  flourishing,  have  become 
small  or  extinct.  This  circumstance  may  appear  strange, 
and  may  furnish  matter  of  reproach  to  those,  who  fine  re- 
ligious societies,  "  not  under  sixty  nor  over  a  hundred  dol- 
lars a  year,"  for  being  "  without  a  teacher  of  piety,  morali- 
ty, and  religion,  three  months  out  of  six,"  and  who  im- 
pose fines  on  individuals  for  not  attending  publick  worship 
a  certain  number  of  times  in  a  year.  But  with  the  Bap- 
tists this  matter  is  easily  accounted  for.  Their  churches  can- 
not long  flourish  nor  exist  without  the  reviving  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit ;  but  those  churches,  which  dejjend  on  the 
civil  arm  for  their  support,  may  continue  and  flourish  even 

•  "  Were  a  serious  Baptist  from  Rhode-Island,"  says  Dp.  Baldwin  in  reply 
to  Dr.  Worcester,  "  to  visit  the  metropolis  of  Massacliusetts,  •  the  head- 
quarters of  good  principles,'  would  he  not  be  led,  from  your  obsen  ations,  to 
suppose  that  no  person  would  be  seen  in  the  streets  on  Lord's  day,  unless  go- 
ing or  returning  from  church  or  meeting  !  But  while  he  could  scarcely  credit 
his  senses,  would  he  not  be  ready  to  ask.  What  meaneth  this  prancing  of  the  horses, 
and  this  rattling  of  the  carriage  wheels  in  my  ears  ?  And  should  lie  be  informed, 
that  more  horses  and  carriages  of  every  kind  were  let  to  visitmg  and  other 
parties  of  pleasure  on  that  day  than  on  any  other  in  the  week,  what  would  be 
his  astonishment  \  What  would  he  think  of  the  *'  influence  of  Pedobaptist 
principles  !"  Would  he  not  suppose  there  were  some  besides  the  ancient 
PUarisees,  who  could  strain  at  a  gnat  and  swallovi  a  camel." 

Series  of  Letters,  p.  211. 


516  Eminent  Men  born  in  Rhode- Island. 

when  there  is  not  a  christian  nor  a  spark  of  grace  among 
them.  Many  of  the  Rhode- Island  churches  have  been 
greatly  reduced,  and  some  in  a  measure  broken  up,  by 
their  members  emigrating  to  other  States.  We  observed 
in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter,  that  this  State  is  so  small 
and  so  fully  settled,  that  as  the  inhabitants  increase,  they 
are  obliged  to  remove  to  other  parts  for  settlements.  And 
here  it  is  proper  to  observe,  that  by  ministers  and  members 
from  this  State  were  founded  the  oldest  church  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1684  ;  the  oldest  in  Connecticut  in  1705  ;  the 
first  church  in  the  city  of  New- York  was  much  assisted  by 
the  Rhode- Island  brethren  about  80  years  ago;  and  by 
emigrants  from  this  nursery  of  Baptists  have  been  founded 
and  enlarged  many  other  churches  in  Connecticut,  Hamp- 
shire, and  Berkshire  counties  in  Massachusetts,  and  also 
in  New-Hampshire,  Vermont,  and  New-York. 

Of  the  ministers,  to  whom  Rhode-Island  has  given  birth, 
who  have  settled  in  other  States,  we  may  name  Valentine 
Wightman,  Joshua  Morse,  Peter  Werden,  Clark  Rogers, 
Caleb  Nichols,  Wightman  Jacobs,  and  others,  who  have 
all  rested  from  their  labours.  Of  those  now  on  the  stage 
of  action,  are  Dr.  Rogers  of  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Grafton  of 
Newton,  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Chipman  of  Nova-Scotia,  a  id 
many  others  in  different  parts  of  the  surrounding  States. 
From  certain  information,  from  the  affinity  of  names,  &c. 
I  am  confident  that  not  less  than  forty,  and  probably  over 
fifty  Baptist  ministers  of  the  First  and  Seventh  Day  order, 
have,  within  half  a  century  past,  gone  out  from  this  little 
territory,  and  acted,  or  are  now  acting,  successful  parts 
in  various  departments  of  the  Lord's  vineyard. 

The  reader  is  left  to  make  his  own  comments  on  the 
prevalence  of  those  religious  principles,  on  which  Rhode- 
Island  was  founded,  and  which  she  has  ever  considered  it 
her  boast  and  glory  to  maintain. 

The  fathers  of  the  colony,  as  we  have  already  shown,  de- 
sired permission  from  the  powers  at  home  to  try  the  ex- 
periment, whether  a  flourishing  civil  State  might  not  stand 
and  best  be  maintained  with  a  full  liberty  in  religious  con- 
cernments. The  experiment  has  been  tried,  and  has  an- 
swered their  most  sanguine  expectations.  A  flourishing 
State  has  arisen  on  a  little  spot  of  earth  in  this  western 
world,  whose  ships  wlien  not  embargoed  nor  blockaded. 


All  Act  for  the  Security  of  religious  Freedom.      517 

traverse  every  sea,  whose  artificers  and  manufacturers  are 
spreading  to  every  State,*  and  in  which  from  first  to  last, 
every  individual  has  been  left  Iree  to  proiess  what  religion 
he  chose,  without  fear  or  molestation.  The  proposal  of 
this  experiment,  and  its  issue  in  Rhode- Island,  is  worthy 
of  being  recorded  in  capitals  of  gold,  and  ought  to  be  hung 
up  in  the  most  conspicuous  place  in  the  Vatican  at  Roaie, 
and  in  every  Ecclesiastical  Court  in  Christendom. 

The  principal  acts  of  the  Rhode-Island  Legislature  in  de- 
fence of  religious  freedom  have  already  been  given. 

In  1716  a  law  was  passed,  which  has  not  yet  been  men- 
tioned. The  closing  part  of  the  preamble  together  with 
the  act,  are  as  follow  : 

*'  THE  present  Assembly  being  sensible  by  long  experience,  that 
the  aforesaid  privilege  (that  is  of  entire  toleration)  by  the  good  provi- 
dence of  God,  having  been  continued  to  us,  has  been  an  outward 
means  of  continuing  a  good  and  amicable  agreement  amongst  the 
inhabitants  of  this  colony  :  And  for  the  better  continuance  and  sup- 
port thereof,  as  well  as  for  the  timely  preventing  of  any  and  every 
church,  congregation  and  society  of  people,  now  inhabiting,  or  which 
shall  hereafter  inhabit  within  any  part  of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  same, 
from  endeavouring  for  preeminence  or  superiority  one  over  the  other, 
by  making  use  of  the  civil  power,  for  the  enforcing  of  a  maintenance 
for  their  respective  ministers  ; 

*'  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly,  and  by  the  author-ty 
hereof  it  is  enacted.  That  what  maintenance  or  salary  may  be  thought 
necessary  by  any  of  the  churches,  congregations,  or  societies  of  peo- 
ple, now  inhabiting,  or  that  hereafter  shall  or  may  inhabit  within  the 
same,  for  the  support  of  their  respective  minister  or  ministers,  shall 
be  raised  by  free  contribution,  and  no  otherwise."! 

•  The  manufacturing  of  cotton  on  Arkwright'splan  was  begun  in  Pa\vtuck» 
et  in  1790,  by  Samuel  Slater,  Esq.  from  England.  There  are  now  in  this  vil- 
iage,  and  near,  almost  7000  spindles  in  operation,  and  within  a  mile  and  a 
quarter  of  it,  including  both  sides  of  the  river,  are  buildings  erected,  capable 
of  containing  about  12,000  more  In  18iO,  according  to  an  account  taken  by 
Mr.  John  K.  Pitman  of  Providence,  in  the  State  of  Rhcde-Island  onl)-,  were 
S9  factories,  in  which  over  30,000  spindles  were  running,  and  the  same  facto- 
ries were  capable  of  containing  about  as  many  more.  The  number  of  spindles  in 
operation  in  this  State  only,  is  now  (1813)  probably  not  far  from  50,000. 

In  1810,  the  gentleman  above  mentioned  ascertained,  that  within  thirty 
miles  of  Providence,  which  includes  a  considerable  territory  in  Massachusetts, 
and  a  small  portion  of  Connecticut,  there  were  76  factories,  capable  of  con- 
taining 111,000  spindles.  The  number  of  spindles  now  in  actual  operation 
■within  this  circumference  are  said  to  be  120,000.  The  amount  of  yarn  spun 
each  week,  is  not  far  from  110,000  pounds,  or  5,500,000  a  year.  This  side  of 
the  river  Delaware  the  number  of  cotton  factories  of  diiferent  dimensions, 
built  and  in  building  is  estimated  at  500, 

7  Laws  of  Rhode-Island,  edition  ofl767,  p.  194. 


518  Last  Act  of  the  General  Assembly. 

This  law  was  passed  under  the  administration  of  Govern- 
or Cranston,  a  Quaker,  and  when  Joseph  Jenks,  afterwards 
Governor,  had  great  influence  in  governmental  affairs.  The 
Rhode- Ishind  people  had  many  suspicioiis  about  this  time, 
that  the  taxing  and  distraining  policy  of  the  neighbouring 
colonies,  would  be  attempted  among  them,  and  this  law 
was  doubtless  intended  to  counteract,  and  be  a  standing 
barrier  against  any  manceuvres  of  the  kind.  It  has  been 
thought  by  many  in  later  times,  that  it  rendered  invalid  all 
contracts  between  a  minister  and  people  for  his  support, 
but  I  cannot  find  that  it  was  ever  so  construed.  Subscrip- 
tions were  recoverable  bv  law  while  this  act  was  in  force, 
and  voluntary  contracts  individually  entered  into  for  the 
supj)ort  of  ministers  are  now,  and  for  ought  that  appears  to 
the  contrary,  always  have  been  as  much  binding  in  law  in 
this,  as  in  any  other  State,  where  there  are  no  religious  es- 
tablishments. If  a  minister  here  were  in  his  own  name  to 
attempt  to  recover  his  salary  in  a  legal  way,  it  is  not  cer- 
tain how  he  would  succeed ;  the  case  I  believe  was  never 
tried  by  any — it  surely  never  was  among  the  Baptists,  and 
it  is  hoped  it  never  will  be  ;  for  the  preacher,  u  ho  is  reduced 
to  the  necessity  of  suing  his  people,  had  better  dig  for  his 
bread,  or  else  decamp  to  some  place  where  they  will  be 
more  punctual. 

The  last  act  of  the  Rhode-Island  Assemblv  has  a  pream- 
ble somewhat  lengthy,  but  high  in  the  strain  of  religious 
freedom,  and  closes  thus  : 

*'  Whereas  a  principal  object  of  our  venerable  ancestors,  in  their 
migration  to  this  countrv,  and  settlement  of  this  State,  was,  as  they 
expressed  it,  to  hold  forth  a  lively  experiment,  that  a  most  Jlonrishing 
eivil  State  may  stand,  and  best  be  maintained^  with  a  full  liberty  in 
relii^ious  concernments  : 

"  Be  it  therefore  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly,  and  by  the  au" 
thority  thereof  it  is  enacted.  That  no  man  shall  be  compelled  to  fre- 
quent or  support  anv  relit^ious  worship,  place,  or  ministry  whatsoev- 
er ;  nor  shall  be  enforced,  restrained,  molested,  or  burthened  in  his 
body  or  goods,  nor  shall  otherwise  suffer  on  acconnt  of  his  religious 
opinions  ot  belief  ;  but  that  all  men  shall  be  free  to  profess,  and  by 
argument  to  maintain,  their  opinions  in  matters  of  religion,  and  that 
the  same  shall  in  no  wise  diminish,  enlarge,  or  affect  their  civil  ca- 
pacities."*        {Laws  of  Rhode-Island  edition  of  1798,  p.  83,  84. 

*  The  followin,^  is  a  brief  statement  of  the  Governors  of  Rhode-Island. 
Under  their  first  charter,  which  lasted  nineteen  years,  their  chief  magistrates 
were  called  Presidents,  of  these  there  were  seven  ;  some  were  Baptists,  some 


Account  of  Connecticut.  5l9 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

CONNECTICUT. 

THIS  State  began  to  be  settled  by  some  of  the  famous 
Robinson's  congregation  in  1633,  but  we  do  not  find  any 
Baptists  in  it  for  more  than  seventy  years  irom  that  period. 
In  1705,  Mr.  Valentine  Wightman  removed  from  North- 
Kingston  in  Rhode  islarid  to  Groton,  seven  miles  from 
Ne\v-London,  where  he  the  same  year  planted  a  church  of 
which  he  became  pastor.  This  remained  the  only  Bap- 
tist church  in  this  province  for  about  twenty  years  :  But 
in  1726  another  was  gathered  in  the  township  of  New-Lon- 
don, on  the  ground  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  Sev- 
enth-Day Baptists,  and  a  minister  by  the  name  of  Stephen 
Gorton  became  their  pastor.  He  was  a  man  of  some  emi- 
nence as  a  preacher,  and  ministered  to  this  people  for  many 
years  ;  but  he  at  length  fell  into  some  scandalous  conduct, 
for  which  he  was  deposed  from  his  pastoral  office,  and  the 
church  in  a  short  time  became  extinct. 

In  1729,  some  people  in  Sa}  brook  at  the  mouth  of  Con- 
necticut river,  embraced  Baptist  sentiments  ;  but  no 
church  was  gathered  there  until  fifteen  years  after. 

Qiiakers,  the  religious  opinions  of  a  number  are  not  known.  Tliree  years  of 
this  time,  the  Presidential  Chair  was  filled  by  Roger  Williams.  From  the 
time  the  second  charter  was  obtained,  viz.  in  1663,  is  now  a  period  of  150 
years.  During  this  period  there  have  been  25  Governors,  counting  his  Ex- 
cellency the  present  Chief  Magistrate.  Eight  of  these  were  Qjiakers  or 
Friends,  about  the  same  number  Baptists  by  education  or  profession,  and  of 
the  remainder  some  were  Episcopalians,  some  Congregationulists  ;  the  relig- 
ious opinions  of  a  number  are  not  known.  Governor  Cook  was  baptized  by 
immersion,  but  belonged  to  a  Congregational  church,  and  the  same  may  be 
eaid  of  the  present  Governor  Jones.  For  more  than  a  century  the  Baptists 
and  Qviakers  had  the  lead  in  the  affairs  of  government.  They  at  first  had 
some  disputes  about  ordinances  and  inward  light,  but  these  soon  subsided, 
and  they  have,  with  very  few  exceptions,  from  time  immemorial,  harmonious- 
ly agreed  to  differ.  While  they  feared  the  introduction  of  the  religious  laws 
of  the  surrounding  governments,  they  endeavoured  to  keep  a  preponderating 
balance  of  power  in  their  own  hands  For  Pedobaptism  and  law-religion  they 
both  disbelieved,  and  have  ever  strenuously  opposed.  The  Qiiakers  now  in 
many  places  serve  as  judges  magistrates,  legislators,  &c.  but  their  preten- 
sions to  the  gubernatorial  chair  they  have  long  since  resigned,  on  account  of 
the  danger  of  its  subjecting  them  to  military  duties,  incompatible  with  their 
views  of  religion  and  morality.  The  Baptists  still  fill  many  offices  of  different 
kinds,  but  more  native  citizens  of  other  States  hold  offices  and  have  influence 
in  gorernmental  affairs,  than  formerly. 


520    Progress  of  Baptist  Principles  in  Connecticut, 

In  1731,  some  of  the  Pedobaptists  in  Wallingford,  thir- 
teen miles  north  of  New-Haven,  by  reading  Delaune's 
Plea,  &c.  became  convinced  of  the  error  of  their  former 
creed,  were  baptized,  and  united  with  the  church  at  New- 
London,  but  usually  met  for  worship  in  their  own  town, 
where  a  church  was  soon  afterwards  established. 

These  were  some  of  the  first  efforts  which  our  brethren 
made  amongst  the  rigid  Pedobaptists  in  this  fast-bound 
Slate. 

Their  progress  was  at  iirst  extremely  slow  and  much 
embarrassed  ;  they  had  to  work  their  way  against  the 
deep-rooted  prejudices  of  a  people,  who  had  been  always 
taught,  with  a  sanctimonious  tone,  that  these  were  the  vile 
descendants  of  the  mad  men  of  Munster  ;  that  they  pro- 
pagated errors  of  a  pestilential  and  most  dangerous  kind  ; 
that  they  were  aiming  to  subvert  all  the  established  forms  of 
religion  in  the  land,  and  on  the  ruin  of  the  Pedobaptist  churches 
to  plant  their  heretical  and  disorganizing  principles  ;  that  for 
the  people  to  hear  them  preach,  or  for  the  magistrates  to 
tolerate  or  connive  at  their  meetings  in  any  of  their  towns 
or  parishes,  was  a  crime  of  peculiar  enormity,  which 
would  expose  them  to  the  famishing  and  revengeful  judg- 
ments of  Heaven. 

Such  were  the  sentiments  of  most  of  the  Connecticut 
people,  at  the  period  of  which  we  are  speaking.  But  this 
host  of  prejudices  was  only  a  shadowy  obstacle  to  the 
progress  of  the  Baptist  cause,  compared  with  those  relig- 
ious laws  with  Vv'hich  the  Connecticut  rulers  had  fenced  in 
their  ecclesiastical  establishment. 

In  the  New  Light  Stir  the  foundations  of  this  establish- 
ment were  very  sensibly  shaken  ;  many  ministers  opposed 
the  progress  of  that  extraordinary  work  of  grace,  as  being 
only  the  fruit  of  error  and  fanaticism  ;  divisions  ensued  ; 
separate  meetings  were  set  up  in  many  towns  and  parishes ; 
Baptist  principles  almost  every  where  prevailed  ;  and  many 
of  the  zealous  New  Lights,  who  began  upon  the  Pedobap- 
tist, brought  up  on  the  Baptist  plan. 

About  the  time,  and  a  litUe  after  this  distinguished 
epoch  in  the  religious  affairs  of  New-England,  small 
churches  were  formed  in  Stonington,  Colchester,  Ashford, 
Lyme,  Killingly,  Farmington,  Stratfield,  and  Horseneck, 
some  of  which  acquired  a  permanent  standing,  while  oth- 
ers were  soon  scattered  and  became  extinct. 


Stomngton  Association.,,. Groton  Church.         521 

So  slow  was  the  increase  of  the  Baptists  in  this  govern- 
tnent,  that  in  1760,  fifty-five  years  after  Mr.  VVightmaa 
erected  his  standard  at  Groton,  they  had  only  eight  or  nine 
churches,  which  had  acquired  any  degree  of  permanency, 
and  most  of  these  were  small  and  feeble  bodies. 

In  1784  their  number  had  increased  to  about  thirty, 
in  which  were  about  twenty  ministers.  From  this  date, 
the  denomination  began  to  increase  much  faster  than  it  had 
formerly  done,  so  that  in  1795  the  number  of  churches 
amounted  to  sixty,  the  ministers  were  about  forty,  and  the 
communicants  a  little  over  three  thousand,  Ji'oe  hundred. 
These  churches  were  scattered  in  every  county,  and  in  al- 
most every  township  in  the  State. 

From  1795,  Baptist  principles  have  prevailed  in  this 
populous  territory  as  rapidly  as  at  any  former  period.  But 
as  many  brethren  have  emigrated  to  other  parts,  the  clear 
increase  of  members  has  not  been  so  great  as  it  would  oth- 
erwise have  been. 

The  River  from  which  this  State  receives  its  name  di- 
vides it  into  two  sections  nearly  equal  in  size.  The 
churches  east  of  this  River,  belong  mostly  to  the  Stoning- 
ton,  Groton,  and  Sturbridge  Associations.  The  Danbury 
Association  comprehends  most  of  those  to  the  west  of  it ; 
a  few  churchfs  towards  the  south-west  part  of  the  State 
belong  to  the  Union  and  Warwick  Associations,  in  New- 
York. 

STONINGTON    ASSOCIATION. 

This  body  was  formed  at  the  place  from  which  it  receiv- 
ed its  name  in  1772.  Its  progress  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  marked  with  any  peculiar  events  ;  it  has  now 
increased  to  twenty-two  churches,  five  of  which  are  in 
Rhode- Island,  the  remainder  are  in  the  south-west  part  of 
this  State. 

Groton.— This  church  was  planted  by  Valentine  Wight- 
man  in  1705,  being  the  first  B  iptist  church  in  Connecti- 
cut. The  members  were  harassed  for  a  while  by  the 
predominant  party  ;  but  no  account  of  their  sufferings  has 
been  obtained.  Mr.  Wightnian  was  born  at  North-Kings- 
ton, Rhode-Island,  in  1681,  and  finished  his  course  in  a 
joyful  manner  in  1747.  We  have  already  stated  that  he  is 
supposed  to  have  been  a  descendant  of  Edward  Wight- 


522.    Mr.  lVightman».sMr,  Fish»»Stm'mgton  Church. 

man,  the  last  man  who  was  burnt  for  heresy  in  England. 
According  to  a  tradition  in  his  family,  five  brothers  came 
to  Rhode-Island  in  the  early  settlement  of  that  colony  ; 
two  of  them  were  preachers,  two  were  deacons,  and  the 
fifth  was  a  professor  of  religion,  all  of  the  Baptist  persua- 
sion. The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  a  son  of  one  of 
these  men,  but  nothing  more  particular  respecting  his  pro- 
genitors can  be  learnt.  He  settled  \v[  Groton  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four,  when  there  were  but  six  or  seven  Baptists  in 
the  place. 

In  1727,  Mr.  Wightman,  being  called  to  preach  at 
Lyme,  was  opposed  b)  Rev.  Mr.  Bulkly  of  Colchester, 
who  challenged  him  to  a  publick  dispute,  which  was  first 
maintained  in  a  verbal  manner,  and  was  afterwards  kept 
up  in  writing.  Mr.  Bulkly,  after  ransacking  the  records 
of  slander  for  arguments  against  his  opponent,  and  the  Bap- 
tists generally,  concludes,  "  They  are  but  of  yesterday, 
and  consequently  the  truth  cannot  be  with  them,  as  being 
not  known  in  the  world  till  about  two  hundred  years  past." 
Mr.  Wightman  replied,  *'  I  never  read  of  a  Presbyterian 
longer  than  said  term,  how  then  can  the  way  of  truth  be 
with  them?"  &c.* 

Mr.  Wightman  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Daniel  Fisk, 
who  served  the  church  about  seven  years,  when  Timothy 
Wightman,  one  of  the  sons  of  the  founder  of  this  body, 
was  elected  its  pastor.  He  discharged  the  duties  of  his 
office  till  a  good  old  age,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
John  Gano  Wightman,  who  was  ordained  in  1800.  Jesse 
Wightman,  another  of  his  sons,  is  pastor  of  a  church  in 
W^est-Springfield.  John  Wightman,  a  brother  of  Timo- 
thy, was  an  eminent  minister  in  his  day,  and  died  at  Far- 
mington  in  this  State.  From  a  daughter  of  Valentine 
Wightman  descended  four  Baptist  ministers,  by  the  name 
of  Rathbun  ;  one  of  them,  by  the  name  of  Valentine 
Wightman  Rathbun,  died  this  present  year,  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Bellingham,  Massachusetts. 

Stonington. — This  town  is  in  the  south-east  corner  of 
Connecticut,  adjoining  Rhode-Island,  and  directly  east  of 
Groton.  In  it,  as  it  stood  before  its  late  division,  were 
three  churches  belonging  to  the  Association  under  consid- 
eration.    The  oldest  of  the  three  is  situated  in  what  is  now 

*  Backus,  vol,  II,  p.  89,  90. 


Stonitigton  Churches.  523 

called  North-Stoninpton,  and  is  under  the  care  of  Mr. 
Peleg  Ra!idai.  It  was  formed  in  1743  ;  its  first  members 
were  baptized  by  Mr.  Wightman  of  Groton.  The  foun- 
dation for  the  second  church  in  this  town  was  laid  by  Sim- 
eon Brown,  now  its  aged  pastor,  and  Stephen  Babcock.  of 
Westerly,  Rhode-Island.  In  the  remarkable  revival  so 
often  referred  to,  these  two  men  caugiit  the  New-Light 
flame,  and  zealously  engaged  in  promoting  the  work, 
which  was  then  going  on  in  the  land.  Mostly  by  their 
means  a  church  was  formed  in  Westerly,  on  the  plan  of 
open  communion,  in  1750,  of  which  Mr.  Babcock  was 
soon  ordained  pastor,  and  Mr.  Brown  a  deacon.  They 
travelled  toarether  about  fourteen  years,  held  meetin<j:s 
sometimes  in  Westerly,  but  often  in  Sionington,  and  the 
church  increased  abundantly,  and  spread  into  many  of  the 
surrounding  parts.  But  the  pastor  and  deacon  at  length 
fell  out  upon  sundry  points,  both  of  doctrine  and  disci- 
pline, their  disputes,  however,  turned  principally  upon 
what,  in  that  day,  was  called  the  divine  testimony.  By  this 
testimony,  which  consisted  of  certain  impulses  and  spir- 
itual maiufestations,  Mr.  Babcock  was  for  regulating  those 
acts  of  discipline,  which  Mr.  Brown  would  govern  by  moral 
evidence.  As  all  attempts  at  reconciliation  proved  ineffec- 
tual, the  deacon,  who  had  not  yet  been  baptized,  had  the 
ordinance  administered  to  him  by  Elder  Wait  Palmer, 
the  same  who  had  baptized  Shubeal  Stearns  ;  gathered  a 
church  in  his  own  town  in  1765,  to  the  pastoral  care  of 
wliich  he  Mas  ordained  the  same  year.  Mr.  Brown  was 
born  in  Stonington,  January,  1723,  and  if  still  living,  is 
turned  of  90. 

This  church  has  been  a  flourishing  body,  and  has  now 
become  large  ;  by  it  were  sent  into  the  ministry,  John 
and  Valentine  Rathbun,  Robert  Staunton,  Eleazer  Brown, 
Amos  Wells,  Simeon  Brown,  jun.  Asa  Spaulding  and 
Jedidiah  Randal. 

A  third  church  was  gathered  at  Stonington  harbour  in 
1775.  Mr.  Rathbun,  late  of  Bcllingham,  was  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  its  pastor  ;  it  is  now  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Eli- 
hu  Cheeseborough. 

A  fourth  church  was  formed  in  this  town  in  1793, 
which  has  since  been  dissolved. 


524     Nell'- London.,  Lebafion..  Letter  from  Mr.  Dodge, 

New -London. — This  town  once  included  MontviUe 
and  Waterford.  In  the  last  place  a  church  was  formed  in 
1726,  whose  pastor  was  Stephen  Gorton,  of  whom  wc 
have  given  some  account.  In  the  same  place  has  arisen  a  Sab- 
batarinn  church,  and  also  one  of  the  Firsi-day  order,  vv'hosc 
ministers  are  Zadock  and  Francis  Darrow.  It  was  form- 
ed in  1767.  The  ancient  church,  in  what  is  now  called 
MontviUe,  was  gathered  in  1750,  under  the  miiiistry  of 
Mr.  Joshua  Morse,  who  removed  to  Sandisfieid,  Massa- 
chusetts, in  the  time  of  the  war,  and  his  flock  appears  to 
have  been  scattered.  The  present  church  is  dated  in 
1786,  and  is  now  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Rtuben  Palmer, 

A  church  in  the  city  of  New  London  was  gathered  in 
1804,  under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  S.iniuel  West. 

The  church  in  Lebanon,  Windliam  county,  arose  out 
of  a  Pedobaptist  quarrel,  about  an  old  mteting-house  ;  the 
affair  made  a  co!>siderable  noise  at  the  time,  and  is  thus 
briefly  related  by  Mr.  Nehemiah  Dodge,  under  whose 
ministry  the  church  was  built  up  : 

*'  MANY  things  complicated  and  perplexing  took  place  in  this 
town,  relative  to  takinfj^  down  one  old  meeting-house,  and  building 
two  new  ones  ;  concerning  which  many  wrong  reports  have  been 
spread  abroad.  And  since  a  number  of  christians  have  been  baptiz- 
ed in  this  place  and  formed  into  a  church,  some  have  been  ungener- 
ous enough  to  cast  many  hard  reflections  upon  the  denomination. 
They  have  said,  tnat  the  Baptists  had  been  the  cause  of  the  tumults 
and  distressing  divisions  which  took  place  in  the  parish  anterior  to 
our  existence  as  a  church,  or  to  there  being  any  Baptists  here,  ex- 
cepting a  few  individuals,  who  lived  recluse,  and  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  existing  controversy." 

This  controversy  turned  principally  upon  the  place  where 
a  new  meeting-house  should  be  set,  and  as  the  parties 
could  not  agree,  they  built  two  in  places  they  respecti\'ely 
chose.  Some  measures  taken  by  the  party,  who  became 
Baptists,  it  would  seem,  did  not  receive  the  sanction  of  the 
Legislature,  which  accounts  for  what  follows  : 

*'  After  a  meeting-house  was  erected,  the  people,  who  built  ir, 
made  application  to  Presbyterian  ministtjrs,  under  whose  ministry 
they  had  been  brought  up,  to  come  and  preach  to  them.  But  these 
gentlemen  replied,  that  they  could  not  in  conscience  preach  to  them, 
nor  fellowship  those  that  would.  Why  ?  Because  the  people  were 
immoral  or  scandalous  in  their  Hves  ?  No.  But  because  they  said 
they  had  gone  contrary  to  laio  in  building  their  house.     They  said  il^ 


Origin  of  the  Lebanon  Church.  525 

did  not  become  them  as  leaders  of  the  people  and  examples  of  piety, 
to  have  so  much  fellowship  with  a  people,  who  had  paid  s»o  little  re- 
gard to  the  voice  of  the  General  Assernbly,  and  wiio  had  beeu  govern- 
ed no  more  b\'  civil  law  in  the  management  of  their  afl'airs,  relative 
to  their  meeting-house.  It  is  understood  that  a  vote  to  this  import 
passed  in  their  Association. 

"  Many  of  the  people  by  these  means  became  convinced  that  laic 
religion  might,  in  some  instances,  operate  unjustly,  by  depriving  in- 
dividuals of  theirunalienabte  rights.  Or  in  other  words,  tl,ty  became 
convinced,  that  civil  law  and  civil  rulers  had  an  undue  iitluence  over 
ministers  and  churches.  Feeling  the  injuries  produced  by  this  legal 
influence,  they  were  led  to  seek,  an  acquaintance  with  those  christians, 
who  acknowledge  no  other  L,atvgiver  in  the  church  but  Jesus  Christ, 
and  no  other  law-book  to  govern  them  in  their  religions  concerns  but 
the  Bible.  And  notwithetanding  the  matij  reproaches  they  had 
heard  cast  upon  the  Baptist  denomination,  Jor  refusing  to  be  dictated 
in  their  religious  affairs  by  civil  law,  and  for  trusting  alone  to  ihe 
spirit  and  providence  of  God  to  support  their  cause,  they  thought 
best  to  examine  for  themselves,  and  see,  if  what  had  so  long  beeri 
deemed  foolishness  and  enthusiasm  were  not  a  virtue.  Accordingly 
in  October,  1804,  application  was  made  to  the  Stonington  Baptist 
Association  by  some  of  the  aggiieved  people  of  Lebanon,  requesting 
some  of  their  ministers  to  visit  them  and  preach  the  gospel  to  them.. 
It  being  in  our  view  consistent  with  the  great  commission  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature,  whether  they  be  governed  by  civil  law 
in  their  religion  or  not,  eight  of  our  ministers  agreed  to  visit  them  iii, 
their  turns  between  that  time  and  the  next  spring, 

"  When  it  came  to  my  turn  according  to  appointment  to  visit  thia 
people  for  the  hrst  time  (which  was  about  a  year  ago)  1  perceived  su 
much  solemnity  and  candour  among  them,  and  such  a  spirit  of  in-<. 
quiry  after  the  apostolic  truth  and  practice,  as  could  not  fail  to  in-j 
terest  tny  feelings  in  their  behalf.  I  also  found  how  grossly  mistakeu 
many  people  abroad  had  been  about  them,  by  reason  of  their  circum= 
stances  having  been  misrepresented.  Their  ideas  were  no  less  incor-^ 
rect  with  respect  to  the  Baptists.  I  thertfore  thought  it  my  duty  to 
pay  more  attention  to  them  than  just  to  preach  a  singleday,  and  then 
leave  them.  Hence  I  appointed  to  visit  them  again  in  February,  and 
continue  with  them  eight  or  ten  Sabbaths.  During  this  visit  God 
was  pleased  to  move  vipon  the  minds  of  some  by  the  influences  of  his 
Spirit,  as  I  have  reason  to  hope.  While  some,  whohad  never  expe- 
rienced the  truth,  felt  the  pangs  of  conviction,  a  number  of  backslid- 
ers seemed  disposed  to  return  to  the  great  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of 
their  souls.  Sorne,  who  had  been  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  obtained  light  upon  Bible  baptism,  and  the  doctrine  of  the 
covenants.  Many  others  began  to  inquire  whether  they  had  not  tak-, 
en  that  for  granted,  which  ought  first  to  have  been  proved,  in  sup- 
posing that  baptism  was  appointed  by  God  as  a  substitute  for  cir- 
cumcision, and  for  a  sign  and  seal  of  the  same  covenant.  And  wheth- 
er in  the  case  of  infant  sprinkling  they  had  not  acted  without  any 
positive  or  fairly  implied  evidence.  Our  assemblies  were  large  and 
solemn  as  they  have  ever  since  continued.      And  on  Fast  day,   last 


526  GrotoJt  Union  Conference. 

spring,  three  persons  were  baptized,  which,  I  conclude,  were  the  first 
ever  baptized  in  this  parish. 

"  As  my  time  of  engay;ement  was  near  expirinj^,  the  proprietors  of 
the  new  house,  with  others,  met  and  requested  me  to  remove  my 
family,  and  make  my  home  with  them.  VVith  this  request  1  thought 
it  duty  to  comply,  and  at^reed  to  stay  and  preach  with  them  as  Song 
as  they  and  I  should  think  it  duty  ;  leaving  it  for  them  to  do  for  me 
wliatever  Bible  and  conscience  should  dictate,  and  nothing  more. 
They  accordingly  removed  my  family  from  Middletown  to  this  place 
in  May  last,  and  have  hitherto  done  for  me  and  my  family  as  well  as 
the  principles  of  honour  and  christian  friendship  require,  without 
the  aid  of  civil  law  to  enforce  their  obligations.  A  people, 
who  are  governed  by  the  religion  of  Christ,  will  do  their  duty  in 
these  respects  much  more  cheerfully  and  uniformly,  than  those  who 
are  goaded  to  it  by  civil  penalties. 

*'  Since  I  commenced  my  stated  labours  nere,  God  has  been  pleas- 
ed graciously  to  continue  his  favour  to  the  people.  Some  have  been 
houefully  converted  to  God,  and  baptized.  Several  brethren  and 
sisters  from  the  Presbyterian  church  have  put  into  practice  the  light 
they  have  obtained  upon  this  ordinance.  Some  backsliders  have  been 
waked  up  to  purpose,  and  put  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

TSEHEMIAH  DODGE. 
Lebanon,  December  27,  1805."* 

This  revival  continued  until  a  sufficient  number  of  bip- 
tized  believers  were  collected  for  the  purpose,  who  received 
the  fellowship  of  a  large  number  of  ministers  as  a  distinct 
church,  September,  1805.  Among  these  ministers  were 
Dr.  Baldwin  of  Boston,  Dr.  Gano  of  Providence,  and  oth- 
ers. This  chwrch  has  since  increased  to  eighty  members. 
The  meeting-house,  thus  unexpectedly  built  for  Baptist 
use,  is  73  feet  by  48  with  a  steeple  and  bell. 

By  this  church  was  sent  into  the  ministry  Mr.  Jonathaa 
Goodwin,  pastor  of  the  church  in  Mansfield,  founded  by 
Mr.  Joshua  Bradley  in  1809. 

GROTON    UXION    CONFERENCE. 

This  name  was  given  to  an  iVssociation,  which  was 
formed  in  1785.  The  churches  of  which  it  is  composed 
are  intermixed  with  those  of  the  Stonington  ;  they  at  first 
held  pretty  generally,  if  not  uniformly,  to  open  communion, 
which  accounts  for  its  being  formed  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  that  body.  But  this  practice  I  believe  they  have  all  now 
given  up,  and  are  in  fellowship  with  the  surrounding 
churches. 

*  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Maga?iae,  vol  i.  p.  186— S. 


Lyme  and  Norwich  Churches,  527 

The  Groton  church,  from  which  this  body  took  its  name, 
is  the  second  in  the  town  ;  it  was  formed  in  1765  ;  its 
first  pastor,  Silas  Burrows,  is  still  living,  though  far  ad- 
vaiiced  in  years.  His  son,  Roswell  Burrows,  has  been 
oiddined  his  colleague,  and  will  doubtless  succeed  him* 
This  is  a  large  and  flourishing  church,  has  had  many  re- 
freshing seasons,  and  contains  between  two  and  three  hun- 
dred members.  Mixed  communion  they  held  till  1797, 
when  the  practice  was  relinquished  without  opposition. 
A  few  members  of  this  community  had  lived  a  number  of 
years  at  a  place  called  Preston  city,  considerably  to  the 
north  of  it,  where  a  revival  commenced  in  1811,  in  which 
forty  or  fifty  were  brought  to  put  on  Christ  by  a  publick  pro- 
fession. They  have  built  them  a  commodious  house  of 
worship,  and  will  probably  soon  become  a  distinct  church. 

Lyme. — In  this  town  a  church  arose  in  early  times  un- 
der the  ministry  of  an  Elder  Cooley,  which  was  long 
since  dissolved.  The  wile  of  this  Elder  was  a  Rogerene, 
and  gave  her  husband  no  little  trouble  in  the  prosecution 
of  his  ministry,  but  more  especially  in  his  family  devotions. 
One  of  his  deacons  was  a  brother  of  the  late  Governor 
Gr  is  wold. 

The  present  church  in  Lyme  was  formed  in  1752,  by 
the  labours  of  Elder  Ebenezer  Mack,  who  was  for  some 
years  its  pastor.  It  arose  out  of  a  church  of  the  Pedobap- 
tist  New-Lights,  which  was  formed  in  1749.  Mr.  Mack 
removed  to  Marlow,  in  New-Hampshire,  in  1768,  where 
he  tarried  many  years,  but  in  his  old  age  came  back  and 
died  among  this  people. 

The  second  pastor  of  this  flock  was  Elder  Jason  Lee, 
who  died  among  them  at  an  advanced  age  in  1810. 

The  church  is  now  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Asa  Wilcox 
from  Rhode- Island.  Their  number  is  between  four  and 
five  hundred  ;  they  have  a  farm  and  parsonage  house,  the 
gift  of  Capt.  Miller,  estimated  at  about  twelve  hundred 
dollars. 

A  second  church  was  formed  in  this  town  in  1812. 
Their  preacher  is  Mr.  Mathew  BoUes  from  Ashford. 

In  Norwich  a  church  was  formed  in  1800  ;  their  pastor 
is  Mr.  John  Sterry  ;  they  have  lately  received  a  legacy  of 
real  estate  supposed  to  be  worth  about  six  thousand  dol- 
lars.    It  was  given  by  a  Mr.  Hatch,  who  was  not  a  Bap- 


•528  Ten  Churches  in  Windham  and  Tolland, 

tist,  and  had  never  manifested  any  peculiar  regard  for  the 
denomination.  It  is  said  that  he  had  been  heai'd  to  la- 
ment that  the  Baptists  were  no  more  able  to  support  the 
ministry  among  them  ;  but  no  one  knew  what  he  had 
done  until  his  Will  was  opened.  His  u  idow  is  a  member 
of  the  church,  and  is  to  have  her  support  out  of  the  prop- 
erty during  her  life. 

From  the  preceding  sketches  it  appears  that  the  coun- 
ty of  New-London  has  been  a  fruitful  nursery  of  Baptists 
for  more  than  a  century.  The  towns  of  Groton  and  Ston- 
ington  have  been  the  most  distinguished  for  the  preva- 
lence of  the  denomination.  In  these  two  towns  are  now 
live  churches,  which  contain  about  one  thousand  commu- 
nicants. Our  brethren  here  have  met  with  but  little  oppo- 
sition from  the  ecclesiastical  powers  of  the  State,  compar- 
ed with  what  they  have  experienced  in  other  parts.  Their 
contiguity  to  the  State  of  Rhode- Island  has  probably  been 
a  principal  cause  of  the  prevalence  of  their  opinions  and  of 
the  toleration  they  have  enjoyed.  This  Baptist  corner  of 
Connecticut  is  generally  represented  in  as  deplorable  a 
state  of  darkness  and  ignorance  as  Rhode-Island,  and  min- 
isters are  frequently  sent  to  teach  and  enlighten  it. 

A  number  of  the  churches  in  this  body  are  in  Rhode- 
Island  and  a  few  in  Massachusetts. 


In  the  north-east  corner  of  this  State  in  the  counties  of 
Windham  and  Tolland,  are  ten  churches  belonging  to  the 
Sturbridge  A^^sociation.  Some  of  them  arose  out  of  Sep- 
arate Pedobaptist  churches,  but  most  have  had  their  origin 
at  a  later  period.  A  chuich  in  Thompson  was  formvd  oa 
the  Six  Principle  Plan,  under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Wight- 
man  Jacobs  from  Rnode-Kland,  in  1750.  And  upon  tnis 
plan  was  formed  an  Association  about  the  same  time, 
which  increased  to  eight  or  ten  churches,  when  it  began  to 
decline  and  has  long  since  been  dissolved.  The  churches  of 
this  Association  were  mostly  in  Rhode- Island,  which  Thomp- 
son joins.  The  first  church  we  find  here  was  dissolved,  and 
the  preseiU  arose  out  of  its  ruins  in  1773  ;  Mr.  John  Mar- 
tin became  its  pastor  ;  after  him  was  Mr.  Parson  Crosby, 
who  is  still  with  them.  In  1811,  a  revival  commenced 
among  this  people,  during  which  about  a  hundred  were 


Danhury  Association.. ,.SuffieId.  521) 

added  to  their  number  by  baptism.  They  have  a  farm 
v/itb.  builvlings  for  the  accommodation  of  their  pastor,  es^ 
timaicd  at  about  two  thousand  dollars. 

The  first  church  in  Woodstock  was  formed  in  1766,  by 
the  labours  of  that  distinguished  ma  i  of  God,  Bid  Lcdoyt, 
who  spent  fourteen  years  of  his  ministry  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  who  died  among  his  own  people  this  present 
year. 

The  dates  of  the  remaining  churches,  their  pastors,  &c. 
will  be  exhibited  in  the  General  Table. 

In  this  region  are  a  few  churches  not  associated,  one  of 
which  in  Ashfond  was  once  under  the  care  of  Mr  Thom^ 
as  Usnck,  afterwards  pastor  of  the  first  church  m  Phila-p 
delphia.  It  now  has  for  its  pastor  Mr.  Frederick  Wights 
man  from  Rhode-Island. 

DANBURY    ASSOCIATIOJf 

Was  formed  in  1790  in  the  town  from  which  it  receive 
ed  its  name.  It  extends  from  the  line  of  Massachusetts 
south  to  the  sea-coast  ;  it  also  extends  to  the  State  of 
New- York,  and  a  few  churches  are  in  that  State.  Its 
movements  have  been  harmonious  and  respectable,  but 
nothing  very  remarkable  has  attended  them.  Of  only  a 
few  of  its  churches  shall  we  be  able  to  give  much  account. 

SuFFiELD.  This  town  is  on  the  Connecticut  River  eigh- 
teen miles  above  Hartford.  In  the  time  of  the  religious 
agitations  in  New-England,  two  Separate  churches  were 
formed  here,  whose  pastors  were  Holly  and  Hastings, 
Holly  wrote  first  against  the  Connecticut  establishment  ; 
then  against  the  Baptists,  and  afterwards  turned  back  and 
became  a  parish  minister.  Hastings  persisted  in  his  sep.- 
aration,  and  towards  the  close  of  his  life  became  a  Baptist. 
Some  time  before  the  year  1770,  a  church  of  the  denomi- 
nation arose  partly  out  of  the  remains  of  the  two  Separate 
ones,  and  partly  of  those  who  had  newly  professed  religion, 
and  John  Hastings,  son  of  the  minister  just  named,  was 
ordained  its  pastor  in  1775.  He  was  one  of  the  most  emi- 
nent mir.isters  among  the  Connecticut  churches  in  his  day, 
and  under  his  labours  a  large  and  extensive  church  arose, 
which  spread  its  branches  throughout  a  wide  extent  of 
towns.  It  is  said  that  during  the  whole  of  his  ministry  he 
baptized  eleven  hundred  persons.  He  finished  hjs  course 
VOL.  I,  67 


530  Colebrook  and  Hartford  Churches, 

with  much  serenity,  March  17,  1811,  aged  6Q.  His  suc- 
cessor is  Mr.  Asahel  Morse,  late  pastor  of  tliC  church  in 
Stratfield  in  this  State. 

From  this  church,  according  to  a  statement  of  its  clerk, 
originated  those  of  Westneld,  Russell,  \Vliitonbary,  Hart- 
ford, Windsor,  Enfield,  Granville,  Southwick,  and  Gran- 
by,  in  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut.  Great  numbers 
have  also  emigrated  from  this  fruitful  community  to  differ- 
ent and  distant  parts. 

In  1804,  a  second  church  was  formed  in  this  town,  part- 
ly of  members  from  this  body,  but  not  in  fellowship 
with  it.  Its  minister  is  Mr.  Caleb  Green  from  Newport, 
Rhode-Island. 

In  Colebrook,  west  of  Suffield,  adjoining  Massachu- 
setts, a  church  was  formed  in  1794,  and  was  the  first  of 
any  denomination  gathered  in  the  town.  Their  pastor 
is  Mr.  Rufus  Babcock,  a  descendant  of  a  family  of  that 
name  in  Westerly,  Rhode- Island. 

Hartford. — In  this  city  a  church  was  established  in 
1790,  mostly  of  members  from  the  Suffield.  For  a  few 
years  after  they  embodied,  they  were  supplied  part  of 
the  time  by  Elders  Winchell,  Moffit,  and  others.  In 
1795,  Mr.  Stephen  S.  Nelson  was  settled  in  the  pastoral 
office,  in  which  he  contin.ued  until  1800,  when  he  removed 
to  Mount  Pleasant  in  the  State  of  New- York.  Under  his 
ministry  a  revival  took  place,  in  which  about  seventy-five 
were  added  to  their  number. 

For  about  seven  years  from  Mr.  Nelson's  removal,  this 
church  remained  destitute  of  a  pastor,  but  was  generally 
supplied  with  neighbouring  ministers,  and  two  years  of  the 
time  by  the  late  Mr.  David  Bolles  of  Ashford,  who,  dur- 
ing that  time,  resided  in  the  city. 

In  1807,  they  settled  among  them  Mr.  Henry  Grew 
from  Providence.  His  ministry  was  acceptable  and  pros- 
perous about  four  years,  when  he  withdrew  from  his  office, 
and  formed  a  new  church  on  the  plan  of  weekly  commu- 
nion, &c. 

Next  to  him  is  their  present  pastor,  ]Mr.  Elisha  Cush- 
man,  a  native  of  Kingston,  Massachusetts. 

The  house  of  worship  belonging  to  this  church  stands 
at  the  corner  of  Dorr  and  Theatre- streets,  in  a  central  part 
of  the  city  ;  it  is  51  feet  by  41,  with  a  steeple  fourteen  feet 


Middletoivn  and  Stratfield  Churches,  531 

square.  The  lot  is  but  a  little  larger  than  the  house,  and 
is  the  gift  of  deacons  John  Bolles  and  Saniiiel  Beckwith. 
Both  house  and  lot  v^ere  at  first  o\^  ned  by  tlie  church  and 
society  in  connexion,  but  in  January,  1813,  the  society 
made  a  generous  trai:isfer  of  their  claim  to  the  church,  with 
whom  the  estate  is  now  wholly  vested.  This  was  a  rare 
instance  of  reformation  in  the  em.barrassing  tenure  of  prop- 
erty for  religious  purposes  too  common  ii-  New-England. 
It  is  hoped  that  other  societies  may  iollow  the  example  of 
the  accommodating  one  at  Hartford. 

This  church  has  lately  had  a  reversionary  bequest  of 
bank  stock,  to  the  amount  of  over  eight  thousand  dollars 
from  Mr.  Caleb  Moore,  one  of  their  members. 

InMiDDLETOwx  a  church  was  formed  in  1795.  They 
have  a  commodious  house  of  worship,  and  are  in  a  promising 
condition.  Their  first  past(.r  was  Elder  Stephen  Parsons, 
formerly  a  Pedobaptist  minister  of  the  Separate  order,  who 
is  now  settled  in,  the  B  ack  River  country,  New-York. 
After  him  they  were  supplied  at  different  periods  by  Elders 
Enoch  Green,  John  Grant,  AsaNiles,  Joshua  Bradley,  and 
others.  Last  year  they  settled  among  them  Mr.  George 
Phippen,  a  graduate  of  Bro\\n  University,  who  Mas  sent 
into  the  ministry  by  the  church  in   Salem,  Massachusetts. 

At  a  place  called  the  Upper  Houses  in  this  town,  a 
church  was  formed  in  1800,  mostly  of  members  from 
Hartford. 

Stratfield. — This  is  an  ancient  and  respectable 
church.  Like  many  others  in  this  State,  it  arose  out  of  a 
Pedobaptist  com.munity  of  the  Separate  order,  and  was 
formed  in  1751.  Mr.  Joshua  Morse,  then  of  New-London, 
made  frequent  visits  to  the  place,  and  baptized  most  of  the 
first  members  in  it.  About  six  years  after  they  Vvcre  set 
in  order  as  a  church,  Mr.  John  Sherwood,  one  of  their 
number,  was  ordained  their  pastor,  by  Messrs.  Morse  and 
Timothy  Wightman  of  Groton.  He  served  them  about 
ten  years,  when  his  health  declined,  and  the  pastoral  office 
devolved  on  Mr.  Benjamin  Coles,  from  Oyster-Bay,  Long- 
Island,  who,  after  tarrying  here  about  six  years,  removed 
to  Hopewell,  New-Jersey.  Since  then,  they  have  had  in 
succession  Elders  Seth  Higby,  Stephen  Royce,*  and 
Asahel  Morse,  now  of  Suffield.     Unless  they  have  setded 

*  By  Mr.  Royce  the  Author  was  baptized  in  1799. 


^32    Stamford  Church . . .  Religious  L  a  ws  of  Connect  icut. 

a  minister  lately,  the  pastoral  office  is  now  vacant.  This 
church  has  two  houses  of  worship  about  ten  miles  apart  ; 
it  is  scattered  in  many  of  the  surrounding  towns,  and  has 
extended  its  branches  to  Wilton  and  New-Canaan  on  to- 
wards the  line  of  New- York.  They  have  a  small  estate 
estimated  at  about  eight  hundred  dollars. 

In  Stamford,  near  the  south-west  corner  of  this  State, 
a  church  u  as  formed  in  1773.  Most  of  the  first  members 
were  baptized  by  John  Gano  from  the  city  of  New- York, 
and  added  to  the  church  under  his  care,  where  they  con- 
tinued until  their  number  was  sufficiently  large  to  become 
a  distinct  body.  Mr.  Ebenezer  Ferris  one  of  their  num- 
ber w  as  ordained  their  pastor  not  long  after  they  began  their 
movements,  and  is  still  with  them,  though  far  advanced  in 
years.  A  few  other  churches  have,  at  other  times,  arisen 
in  this  part  of  the  State,  of  which  we  shall  give  a  list  in  the 
table  of  Associations,  &:c. 

From  this  State  have  emigrated  multitudes  of  the  Bap- 
tist denomination  to  New-York,  Vermont,  and  all  the  sur- 
rounding States.  This  land  of  steady  habits  has  also  giv- 
en birth  to  a  great  number  of  ministers,  who  have  settled 
■without  its  bounds.  Among  these  are  Messrs.  Isaac 
Bickus,  the  historian,  John  Waldo,  Dr.  Thomas  Baldwin, 
Aaron  Drake,  Justus  Hull,  Elias  Lee,  Jeremiah  Higbee, 
Stephen  Parsons,  Henry  Green,  Peter  P.  Roots,  and  many 
others.  The  maxims  of  the  land  do  not  well  suit  the  ge- 
nius of  our  Order,  and  besides,  the  country  is  so  fully  set- 
tled, as  population  increases,  the  surplusage  must  go 
abroad  for  settlements. 

The  religious  laws  of  Connecticut  are  not  much  unlike 
those  of  IVlassachusetts.  The  Pedobaptist,  frequently 
called  the  Presbyterian  party,  was  taken  under  legal  patron- 
age in  early  times.  The  whole  State  was  divided  into 
parishes,  in  which  houses  of  w-orship  were  built,  ministers 
settled,  and  maintained  all  according  to  law.  Some  minis- 
ters here  as  well  as  in  Massachusetts  are  supported  from 
funds,  pew  rents,  &c.  but  by  far  the  greater  part  have  their 
living  by  a  direct  tax  according  to  the  civil  lists,  which 
every  human  being  within  the  parish  bounds,  whether  Jew 
or  Gentile,  Infidel  or  Christian,  possessed  of  a  rateable  poll 
or  taxable  property,  is  obliged  to  pay,  unless  he  gives  a 
certificate  of  his  different  belief. 


Jn  Act  for  the  Relief  of  the  Baptists.  533 

The  first  certificate  law  in  Connecticut  was  passed  in  fa- 
vour of  the  Quakers,  May,  1729.  It  provided  that  tliose 
who  should  produce  from  a  society  ol  that  denouiination  a 
writing,  certitying  that  they  had  ui.ited  with  them,  and  did 
attend  their  meetings  of  worship,  should  be  exempted  from 
mhiisterial  taxes,  &c. 

In  the  autumn  of  that  year  a  similar  act  was  passed  in 
favour  of  the  Baptists  of  the  following  tenor  : 

UPON  the  Memorial  of  the  people  called  Baptists,  praying  that 
they  may  be  discharged  from  the  payment  of  rates  and  taxes  for  the 
support  of  the  gospel  ministry  in  this  government,  and  lor  building 
meetlnu-houses, 

"  It  is  resolved  hy  the  Governor,  Council,  and  Representatives,  in 
General  Court  assembled,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  same.  That  for 
the  future,  the  same  privilege  and  exemption  from  the  charges  afore- 
said, as  was  granted  by  this  Assembly  in  May  last,  unto  the  people 
called  Quakers,  is  hereby  allowed  unto  them,  under  the  same  regula- 
tions ;  any  law,  usage,  custom,  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding." 

This  act  appears  to  have  been  obtained  principally  by  the 
friendly  assistance  of  the  Rhode-Island  brethren.  At  an 
Association  of  their  churches  held  in  North-Kingston,  Sep- 
ten-iber,  1729,  they  drew  the  Memorial  above-mentioned^ 
%vhich  was  signed  by  Richard  Sweet,  Valentine  Wightman, 
Samuel  Fisk,  John  Comer,  Elders,  and  brethren  Timothy 
Peckham,  Joseph  Holmes,  Ebenezer  Cook,  Benjamin 
Herenden  and  others,  to  the  number  of  eighteen,  all  of 
Rhode- Island  except  two.  To  this  Memorial  was  added 
the  following  : 

**  WE  the  subscribers  do  heartily  concur  with  the  Memorial  of  our 
brethren  on  the  other  side,  and  do  humbly  request  the  same  may  be 
granted,  which  we  think  will  much  tend  to  christian  unity,  and  be 
serviceable  to  true  religion,  and  will  very  much  rejoice  your  Honors' 
friends,  and  very  humble  servants, 

Joseph  Jenks,       Governor. 
James  Clark,  \  Elders, 

Daniel  ^Vightman,  j 
Netcport,  Sept.  10,  1729." 

This  law  continued  in  force  w  ithout  much  variation  over 
sixty  years.  The  Quakers  and  Baptists  were  the  only  de- 
nominations exempted  till  about  1756,  when  the  same 
privileges  granted  to  them  were  extended  to  dissenters  of 
all  classes,  provided  they  ordinarily  attended  meetings  in 


5s  4-  Another  Certificate  Act  passed, 

their  respective  societies,  and  paid  their  due  proportion, 

&c.  other\^  ise  they  should  be  taxed. 

The  words  ordinarily,  &c.  were  intended  to  restrain 
those,  who  might  go  off  to  dissenting  sects  from  motives 
of  economy  only,  but  on  the  strength  of  the  clause,  collec- 
tors found  pretexts  to  fiequently  distrain  taxes  from 
church  members.  A  number  of  Baptists  in  Stafford  had 
united  with  the  church  in  Willington  under  the  care  of 
Elder  Lillibridge  from  Rhode-Island.  The  distance  being 
great  and  the  way  rough,  they  did  not  meet  with  the 
church  so  often  as  they  could  have  wished,  or  the  law  re- 
quired. The  Presbyterians  in  Stafford,  to  pay  the  ex- 
pense of  a  new  meeting-house,  taxed  them  all,  distrained 
their  goods,  and  disposed  of  them  at  public  sale.  The 
brethren  then  set  about  seeking  redress,  commenced  an 
action  against  the  distrainers  for  their  goods,  damages,  &c. 
The  affair  went  through  two  courts  ;  in  the  second  the  coun- 
sel for  our  brethren  plead,  that  they  were  Baptists  sentimental- 
ly, practically,  and  legally.  To  this  statement  the  counsel 
on  the  other  side  acceded,  but  still  continued  his  plea 
against  them  because  they  did  not  ordinarily  attend  their 
own  meeting.  While  the  la\vyers  were  disputing,  the 
Judge,  Vvho  was  an  Episcopalian,  and  not  very  well  af- 
fected towards  the  predominant  party,  called  the  attention 
of  the  court  by  inquiring,  how  long  a  man,  who  was  a 
Baptist  sentimentally,  practically,  and  legally,  must  stay  at 
home  to  become  a  Presbyterian  ?  His  Honor's  logic  pro- 
duced the  same  effect  upon  the  whole  court  as  it  must 
upon  the  reader,  and  the  Baptists  easily  obtained  the  case. 

In  May,  1791,  the  ruling  party  thinking  probably  that 
certificates  w  ere  too  easily  procured,  passed  a  law  that  they 
should  in  future  be  signed  by  two  magistrates  before  they 
could  be  valid  and  effectual.  This  law  set  all  the  dissen- 
ters in  motion.  Remonstrances  and  memorials  poured  into 
the  Assembly  from  every  quarter,  and  the  act  w-as  repealed 
the  October  following,  when  the  present  certificate  law 
was  passed,  which  reads  thus  : 

**  Beit  enacted  by  the  Governor  and  Council  and  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives in  General  Court  Assembled,  That  in  future,  whenever 
any  person  shall  differ  in  sentiments  from  the  worship  and  ministry, 
in  the  ecclesiastical  societies  in  this  State,  constituted  by  law  within 
certain  local  bounds,  and  shall  choose  to  join  himself  to  any  other  de- 


Conclusion  of  the  History  of  Connecticut.  535 

nomination  of  Christians,  which  shall  have  formed  themselves  into 
distinct  churches  or  congregations,  for  the  maintenance  and  support 
of  the  pnblick  worship  of  God,  and  shall  manifest  snch  his  choice,  by 
a  certihcate  thereof,  under  his  hand,  lodged  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk 
of  the  Society  to  which  he  belongs, — such  person  shall  thereupon, 
and  so  long  as  he  shall  continue  ordinarily  to  attend  on  the  worship 
and  ministry,  in  the  church  or  congregation,  to  which  he  has  chosen 
to  belong  as  aforesaid,  be  exempted  from  being  taxed  for  the  future 
support  of  the  worship  and  ministry  in  such  society.* 

This  law  is  probably  as  favourable  as  any  one  of  the 
kind  can  be  framed.  A  dissenter  has  nothing  to  do  but 
to  write  his  own  certificate,  and  then  he  becomes  of  another 
sect.  This  facility  has  been  the  cause  of  multitudes  leav- 
ing the  established  order,  who  are  of  no  use  to  any  other 
denomination.  No  man  can  be  a  neuter  in  religion  neith- 
er here  nor  in  Massachusetts  ;  unless  he  gives  a  certificate 
of  dissent,  he  is  known  and  dealt  with  in  law  as  a  Presby- 
terian or  Congregationalist. 

To  the  certificate  law  of  this  State  as  it  now  stands,  our 
Baptist  brethren  object  principally,  that  it  presupposes  a 
subordination,  which  they  do  not  well  relish,  and  obliges 
them,  in  Leland's  phraseology,  to  lo%ver  their  peck  to  the  na- 
tional ship.  They  have  made  several  attempts  to  get  it 
repealed,  but  the  established  clergy  have  hitherto  had  in- 
fluence enough  to  prevent  it.  In  one  of  the  petitions  of 
the  Baptists  to  the  Assembly,  dated  February,  1803,  is  the 
following  clause  :  "  We  are  frequently  told  that  giving  a 
certificate  is  a  mere  trifle  :  if  it  be  so,  we  would  desire 
that  the  law  would  not  intermeddle  with  such  a  triflAng 
business^  or  that  those,  who  consider  it  as  a  mere  trifle, 
may  be  the  persons  to  do  this  trifle  themselves,  and  not 
the  dissenters,  who  consider  it  in  a  far  diflerent  point  of 
light." 

Some  will  not  give  certificates  at  any  rate,  and  so  much 
are  matters  mollified,  that  very  few  at  present  meet  with 
much  ^rouble  whether  they  do  or  not. 

The  Pedobaptist  communities  have  found  by  experi- 
ence, that  it  will  not  do  to  push  their  measures,  for  where- 
ever  they  have,  swarms  have  deserted  from  them. 

*  Statutes  of  Connectieut. 


536       Ne'U}-Tor'k,.,Ne\\i-Tork  City.., First  Church* 


CHAPTER   XV. 

NEW-YORK. 

THIS  State  contains  almost  a  million  of  inhabitants. 
It  stretches  from  the  Atlantic  ocean  north  to  the  River  St. 
Lawrence,  and  north-west  and  west  to  the  lakes  Ontario 
and  Erie. 

The  first  appearance  of  Baptists  in  this  State  was  in  the 
city  from  which  it  takes  its  name  ;  they  were  next  found 
on  Long-Island,  and  a  third  company  setded  in  dutchess 
county  up  the  Hudson  River. 

So  late  as  1764,  it  does  not  appear  that  there  were  more 
than  four  Baptist  churches  in  this  extensive  territory  ;  in 
1790,  they  had  increased  to  sixty,  their  preachers  were 
about  seventy,  and  their  communicants  not  far  from  four 
thousand.  There  are  now  of  the  denomination  some- 
where between  two  and  three  hundred  churches,  and  prob- 
ably over  sixteen  thousand  members. 

K'EW-YORK    CITY. 

Baptist  churches  of  late  years  have  increased  in  this  fa- 
snous  metropolis  something  faster  than  the  materials  needful 
for  their  construction,  and  of  course  some  have  become  ex- 
tinct, others  are  small  and  declining,  while  a  few  have 
gained  a  good  degree  of  maturity,  and  are  large  and  flour- 
ishing bodies. 

First,  or  Gold-Street  Church.  This  church  was  found- 
ed on  its  present  plan,  in  1762,  but  a  community  of  Gen- 
eral or  Arminian  Baptists  had  existed  on  the  ground  long 
before,  of  which  it  may  be  proper  to  give  a  brief  account. 
William  Wickenden  of  Providence,  Rhode- Island,  during 
his  ministry  there,  frequently  preached  in  this  city,  where, 
at  one  time,  as  a  reward  for  his  services,  he  was  imprison^ 
ed  four  months.  At  what  time  this  event  took  place, 
cannot  be  ascertained  ;  it  must  have  been  be  [ore  1669,  for 
in  that  year  Mr.  Wickenden  died.  From  this  period  we 
hear  nothing  of  Baptists  here  until  about  1712,  when  Mr. 
Valentine  Wightman  of  Groton  repaired  to  the  place,  by 
the  invitation  of  Mr.  Nicholas  Eyres,  and  continued  his 
visits  about  two  years.     *'  His  preaching  place  was  IVIr. 


Account  of  the  First  Church  hi  New-2'ork.         537 

Eyres'  house.  Under  his  ministry  many  became  serious, 
and  some  hopefully  converted.  Their  names  were  Nich- 
olas Eyres,  Nathaniel  Morey,  Anthony  Webb,  John 
Howes,  Edward  Hoytcr,  Cornelius  Stephens,  James 
Daneman,    Elizabeth  Morey,    Hannah   Wright,    Esther 

Cowley,  Martha  Stephens,  and  Mrs.  Miller.     Some 

time  in  1714,  Mr.  Wightman  baptized  the  five  women  in 
the  night,  for  fear  of  the  mob,  who  had  been  very  trouble- 
some, while  the  seven  men  stood  by.  The  following  text 
dropped  into  Mr.  Eyres'  niind,  JVo  man  doeth  any  tlimg 
m  secret^  when  he  hhnse/f  seeketh  to  be  known  openly. 
Accordingly  he  and  the  six  brethren  put  oBP  their  design 
till  morning,  when  Eyres  waited  on  the  Governor  (Burnet,) 
told  the  case,  and  solicited  protection,  which  the  Governor 
promised,  and  v»'as  as  good  as  his  word,  for  he  and  many 
of  the  gentry  came  to  the  water  side,  and  the  rite  was  per- 
formed in  peace.  The  Governor,  as  he  stood  by,  was 
heard  to  say,  "  This  was  the  ancient  manner  of  baptizing, 
and  in  my  opinion  much  preferable  to  the  practice  of  moc-- 
crn  times."  The  above  twelve  persons  called  Mr.  Eyres 
to  preach  to  them,  by  whose  ministry  the  audience  so  in- 
creased, that  a  private  house  would  not  hold  them.  Ac- 
cordingly they  purchased  a  lot  on  Golden  Hill,  (not  far 
from  the  lot  where  the  present  meeting-house  now  stands) 
and  thereon  built  a  place  of  worship  some  time  in  the  year 
1728.*  The  house  was  in  being  in  1774,  but  by  mis- 
management had  become  private  property.  Thus  they 
went  on  to  the  month  of  September,  1724,  when  Messrs. 
Valentine  Wightman,  of  Groton,  and  Daniel  Wightman 
of  Newport,  formed  them  into  a  church  and  ordained  Mr. 
Eyres  to  be  their  minister.  To  the  before  mentioned 
twelve  were  added,  under  Mr.   Eyres'  ministry,  William 

•  Among'  Mr.  Backus'  papers  I  found  a  letter  addressed  to  the  church  in 
Providence  by  Elder  James  Brown,  soliciting  some  assistance  towards  defraj'- 
ing  the  expense  of  this  house.  In  this  address  it  is  stated  that  the  brethren 
in  New-York  had  purchased  a  lot  and  built  them  a  place  of  worship  which  cost 
them  dear.  That  one  of  their  company,  a  man  of  property,  on  whom  tliey 
much  depended,  had  left  them,  and  tlie  rest  being  poor,  tliey  were  now  in- 
cumbered with  a  debt  which  they  were  utterly  unable  to  discharge.  It  is 
furthermore  stated  that  contributions  had  been  made  for  these  people  among 
the  Rhode-Island  brethren  the  year  before,  but  as  farther  aid  was  still  need- 
ed,  it  was  thought  that  about  ^w  mid  twenty  or  thirty  pounds  would  be  a  suita- 
ble proportion  to  be  raised  by  the  church  in  Providence.  At  the  close  of  thiis 
address  there  is  subscribed  by  Mr.  Brown  one  pound,  and  by  a  number  of  oth- 
ers thirteen  barrels  of  cider,  which  was  then  valuable  in  that  market. 

VOL,    I.  68 


5? 8  Origin  of  the  First  Church, 

Ball,  Ahasueriis  Windall  of  Albany,  Abigail  and  Dinah 
North  of  Newtown,  Martha  Walton  ot"  Staten-Island,  and 
Richard  Siilhvell,  jun.  Seven  years  after,  that  is,  Octo- 
ber, 1731,  Mr.  E}  res  resigned  the  care  of  them  to  go  to 
Newport  oii  Rhode- Islar.d.  After  him  Mr.  John  Ste- 
phens prt  acht.  d  to  them,  and  baptized  Robert  North,  Ma- 
ry Morpln,  Hannah  French,  Mary  Stillwell,  and  two  more 
AA  hose  names  are  not  known.  But  Mr.  Stephens  qnitting 
them  to  go  to  South-Carolina,  and  their  house  being  taken 
from  them,  the  church  dissolved  away  after  haviiig  increas- 
ed to  twenty. four  members,  and  existed  about  eight  years. 
The  present  church  originated  in  the  following  manner  : 
About  the  year  1745,  Mr.  Jeremiah  Dodge,  a  men\ber  of 
Mr.  Holstead's  church  at  Fishkill,  settled  in  New-York, 
and  opened  a  prajer,  reading,  and  singing  meeting  at  his 
owMi  house,  to  which  some  of  Mr.  Eyres'  church  resorted  ; 
but  as  they  were  Arminians,  and  Dodge  a  strict  Calvinist, 
no  good  came  of  it,  except  that  the  aforementioned  Rob- 
ert North  and  he  agreed  to  invite  Mr.  John  Pine,  an  un- 
ordained  preacher  in  the  church  of  Fibhkill,  to  come  and 
preach  to  them.  His  ministry  took  effect  partly  in  recon- 
ciling some  of  the  old  church  to  Calvinism,  and  partly  in 
the  conversion  of  others,  particularly  John  Carman  and 
Neh^niiah  Oakly,  who  uere  baptized  by  said  Holstead  ; 
but  Mr.  Pine  d}  iug  in  1750,  Mr.  James  Carman  of  Cran- 
berry, Ne\\-Yoik,  visited  them  and  baptized,  so  as  to  in- 
crease their  nuniber  to  thirteen  ;  then  they  were  advised 
to  join  themselves  to  Scotch- Plains,  so  as  to  be  considered  a 
branch  of  that  church,  and  to  have  their  minister,  Mr. 
Benjamin  Miller,  to  preach  and  administer  the  Lord's 
Supper  to  them  once  a  quarter  ;  this  was  effected  in  1753. 
Mr.  Miller  had  not  ministered  to  them  many  months  be- 
fore the  audience  gre\v  too  large  for  a  private  house,  there- 
fore they  hired  a  rigging  loft  in  Cart  and  Horse  Lane,  and 
made  it  convenient  for  publick  vAorship  ;  but  being  refused 
continuance  tliere  afiei  three  years,  they  were  obliged  to 
meet  in  Mr.  Joseph  Meeks'  house  in  William  Street, 
where  they  continued  about  one  year  ;  then  they  purchas- 
ed a  part  of  a  lot  on  Golden  Hill,  and  thereon  built  the 
meeting-house  before  described,  and  for  the  first  time  met 
in  it,  March  14,  1760.  Having  now  a  place  of  worship, 
and  the  number  of  members  increasing  to  twenty-seven. 


Mr.  John  Gano...Mr.  William  Parkinson.       539 

they  petitioned  tlie  Scotch  Plains  for  a  dismission,  which 
was  granted  them  June  12,  1762,  and  on  the  19th  of  the 
same  month,  they  were  constiiutcd  u  chin'ch  by  the  assist- 
ance of  Miller  and  Gano,  and  the  same  year  joi-ied  the 
Association."*" 

Mr.  John  Gano  became  the  pastor  of  this  chinch  at  the 
time  of  its  constitution,  and  continued  in  that  oflice  about 
twenty-bix  years,  when  he  removed  to  Kentucky,  as  will 
be  related  in  his  bioi^raphy.  Durint^  his  ministry,  the 
church  received  by  bapiism  about  300  members,  and  ex- 
cepting the  interruptions  of  the  war,  it  enjoyed  an  almost 
continual  scene  of  prosperity  and  enlargement.  Three 
men  of  dividing  principles,  viz.  John  Murray,  now  of  Bos- 
ton, John  Allen  or  Junius  Junior,  and  one  Dawson,  a  cen- 
sured member,  from  Dr.  GifFord's  church  in  London,  each 
in  their  turns  attempted  divisions,  caused  no  little  trouble, 
but  in  the  end  failed  of  success. 

The  next  year  after  Mr.  Gano's  removal  this  church  had 
the  happiness  to  settle  in  the  pastoral  office  Mr.  afterwards 
Dr.  Benjamin  Foster,  who  ministered  to  them  with  much 
reputation  and  success  till  1798,  when  he  died  with  the 
yellow  fever.  For  a  further  account  of  this  distinguished 
character,  the  reader  is  referred  to  his  biography. 

Successor  to  Dr.  Foster  was  Mr.  William  Collier,  now 
of  Charlestown,  Massachusetts,  who  officiated  here  about 
four  years. 

After  him  was  Mr.  Jeremiah  Chaplin,  now  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Dan  vers,  the  birth  place  both  of  Dr.  Foster  and 
himself.  He  served  this  people  about  one  year.  Of  these 
two  pastors  something  has  already  been  said  under  the  head 
of  Massachusetts. 

The  next  in  office  here  was  the  present  pastor,  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Parkinson.  He  was  born  near  Fredericktown,  Mary- 
land, November  8,  1774,  served  a  number  of  years  as  pas- 
tor of  the  church  in  that  town,  was  three  sessions  chaplain 
to  ('on^ress,  and  was  settled  in  his  present  station  in  the 
beginning  of  1805.  Under  Mr.  Parkinson's  ministry  this 
church  has  enjoyed  peculiar  prosperity  and  enlargement  ; 
it  has  also  on  account  of  some  grievous  allegations  against 
his  moral  character,  been  called  to  pass  through  an  afflictive 

•  Morgan  Edwards'  MS    Materials,  Sec.      For  a  further  account  of  Mr, 
Eyres,  see  Newport,  Rhode-Isknd. 


540  Bethel  Church. 

scene  of  trial  and  adversity.  Twice  he  has  been  indicted 
for  an  assault  and  battery  ;  two  long  expensive  law-suits 
have  been  maintained,  in  both  of  which  he  was  acquitted 
for  want  of  evidence  ;  but  still  the  minds  of  not  a  few  of 
his  brethren  and  friends  remain  burdened.  The  crimeii 
laid  to  his  charge  by  his  female  accusers  he  denies  ;  im- 
prudent conduct  with  some  of  the  tempting  daughters  of 
Eve,  he  has  confessed  to  his  church,  who  have  received 
his  confession  as  satisfactory,  and  resolved  to  retain  him  ia 
office.  Further  than  this,  the  relation  of  this  unhappy  af- 
fair may  better  be  omitted. 

The  house  of  worship  built  by  this  church  in  1760  was 
ejilarged  during  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Gano,  but  the  whole 
was  removed,  together  with  the  parsonage  house  adjoining, 
in  1801,  to  make  room  for  their  present  spacious  edifice, 
which  was  erected  the  year  after.  It  is  built  of  stone,  80 
feet  by  65,  and  cost,  including  its  furniture,  about  25,000 
dollars.  It  is  situated  in  Gold- Street  on  a  lot  of  125  feet 
by  100. 

From  this  church  have  originated  the  Bethel,  the  next 
to  be  named,  the  one  at  Peekskill  up  the  Hudson  River, 
those  of  King- Street  and  Stamford  in  Connecticut,  one  at 
Newtown  on  Long-Island,  the  Abyssinian  or  African 
Church,  and  North  Church,  both  in  this  city. 

The  ministers,  who  have  been  sent  out  from  this  ancient 
establishment,  are  Messrs.  Thomas  Ustick,  late  of  Phila- 
delphia, Isaac  Skillman,  d.  d.  once  pastor  of  the  Second 
Church  in  Boston,  Stephen  Gano  of  Providence,  Rhode- 
Island,  Thomas  Montanye  of  Southampton,  Pennsylvania, 
Cornelius  P.  Wyckoff,  James  Bruce  deceased,  and  John 
Seger.* 

Bethel  Chltrch. — This  church  was  formed  from  the 
Gold- Street  not  altogether  harmoniously  in  1770.  But  as 
the  dispute  was  about  matters  of  no  great  interest,  it  was 
soon  settled,  and  the  tu  o  churches  have  long  travelled  io 
fellowship  together.  This  church  in  the  beginning  was 
called  the  second  in  New- York,  its  first  pastor  was  Dr. 
John  Dodge,  who  is  now  settled  with  the  church  in  Can- 
ton,  above  Poughkeepsie.  He  was  born  on  Long- Island, 
February  22,  1738,  was  bred  to  phjsic,  became  a  Baptist 
in  Baltimore,    by  means  of  the  late  John  Davies,   became 

*  Jubilee  Sermon,  £:c. 


Fayette  y  mid  Mulberry -Street  Churches.  541^ 

the  pastor  of  this  church  soon  after  it  arose,  and  continued 
with  it  a  number  of  years.  After  him  they  had  for  a  num- 
b'  r  of  years  Mr.  Charles  Lahatt,  now  of  Pittstown  in  this 
State.  Successor  to  him  was  their  present  pastor,  Mr. 
Daniel  Hall.  The  first  house  of  worship  belonging  to  this 
body  was  in  Rose-Street,  where  they  met  until  1803, 
when  they  sold  that  and  built  their  present  house  in 
Bioome^Screet,  44  feet  by  36.  It  stands  on  a  lot  50  feet 
by  100. 

Fayette-Street  Church. — This  church  arose  out  of  a  di- 
vision of  the  Bethel  in  1791,  both  parties  claimed  the  name 
oi  Second  until  1802,  when  their  differences  were  adjusted, 
and  they  by  mutual  consent  gave  up  their  claims  to  prior- 
ity, and  took  the  names  they  now  bear. 

The  first  pastor  of  the  church  under  consideration  was 
Mr.  Benjamin  Montanye,  now  of  Deer  Park  in  this  State. 
Successor  to  him  was  Mr.  John  Williams,  under  whose 
ministry  they  have  been  built  up  to  a  large  and  flourishing 
body,  and  to  his  conciliatory  maxims,  must,  in  a  good 
measure,  be  attributed  the  adjustment  of  the  former  diffi- 
culties in  which  they  were  involved-  Their  first  house  of 
worship  was  small,  their  present,  erected  about  1800,  is  60 
feet  by  43,  situated  on  the  street  from  which  the  church 
was  named. 

Mr.  Williams  was  born  in  Carnarvon  county,  South- 
Wales,  in  1768,  and  landed  in  New- York,  1795. 

Mulberry-Street  Church. — The  origin  of  this  church 
was  marked  with  some  peculiarities,  which  were  briefly  as 
follow  :  In  1805,  Mr.  Archibald  Maclay,  its  founder  and 
present  pastor,  arrived  in  this  city  from  Scotland.  He  was 
then  an  Independent,  under  the  patronage  of  the  churches 
of  that  order  in  his  native  land.  He,  no  more  than  Mr. 
Williams,  had  fixed  upon  this  metropolis  as  a  place  of  set- 
tlement. Mr.  Williams  had  designed  to  have  gone  to 
Pennsylvania  ;  Mr.  Maclay 's  place  of  destination  was 
Boston  ;  but  finding  here  a  few  brethren  of  his  own  per- 
suasion, he,  in  compliance  with  their  solicitation,  agreed 
to  tarry  a  few  weeks  with  them.  They  rented  at  first,  and 
afterwards  purchased  the  house  in  Rose-Street,  formerly 
occupied  by  the  Bethel  Church.  Here  Mr.  Maciay  be- 
gan his  labours,  a  respectable  congregation  soon  collected, 
and  in  tiie  course  of  a  few   months  a  small  church  of  the 


542  Abyssinian  or  African  Church, 

Independent  persuasion  was  formed,  which,  in  three  years^ 
increased  to  forty  members.  This  little  church  arose  un- 
der many  discouragements,  had  enjoyed  many  tokens  of 
Divine  favour,  and  was  united  to  an  uncommon  degree  in 
the  tender  ties  of  christian  affection.  But  their  pastor,  af- 
ter a  thorou.^;h  investigation  of  die  subject,  was  constrained 
to  become  a  Baptist,  and  had  the  ordinance  administered  to 
him,  December,  1808,  by  Mr.  WiUiams  above  named, 
and  four  days  after  seventeen  of  his  church  were  baptized 
by  the  same  administrator,  a  number  more  soon  after  fol- 
lowed their  example,  and  in  February,  1809,  they  were 
formed  into  a  Baptist  church.  They  hold  and  practise 
weekly  communion,  but  are  not  disposed  to  break  fellow- 
ship with  their  brethren,  who  differ  from  them  on  this  point* 
Their  number  has  increased  to  about  200. 

Their  house  of  worship  stands  on  the  Street,  from  which 
the  church  is  named,  is  60  feet  by  40,  and  cost,  together 
with  their  lot,  about  8000  dollars.  The  lot  is  48  feet  by 
104. 

Mr.  Maclay  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  studied  in 
Mr.  Haldane's  Academy  at  Edinburgh,  and  is  probably 
about  35  years  of  age. 

The  North  Baptist  church  was  formed  of  members  from 
the  Gold-Street  in  1809.  Their  pastor,  Mr.  Cornelius  P. 
Wyckoff,  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  North  Dutch 
church  in  this  city. 

T^lie  Abyssinian  or  African  Church  was  also  formed  from 
the  Gold  Street,  in  1809.  They  have  purchased  a  very 
commodious  house  of  worship  in  Anthony- Street,  for 
which  it  is  feared  they  will  not  be  able  to  pay.  Their 
present  minister  is  Jacob  Bishop  from  Baltimore. 

A  church  called  Ebenezer,  was  gathered  a  few  years 
since  under  the  ministry  of  the  late  Mr.  John  Inglesby, 
which  is  now  small,  and  has  never  been  large. 

In  1811,  a  church  was  formed  in  Mulberry-Street,  called 
Union,  from  a  schism  in  the  Bethel  Chm^ch  respecting  disci- 
pline. Their  number  is  24.  They  were  at  first  under 
the  care  of  Mr.  Thomas  Stevens,  who  has  since  removed 
from  them.  They  have  still  a  preacher  by  the  name  of 
Sylvian  Bijotat,  a  native  of  Paris,  France,  whose  ancestorii 
were  Seventh-Day  Baptists  in  that  city. 


Long-Islafid  Church.  543 

A  church  once  existed  in  Fair-Street  ;  under  the  miiiis- 
try  of  Mr  John  Stanford,  which  has  maiiv  }  tars  been 
dissolved. 

In  1806,  a  churcli  was  gathered  mostly  of  natives  fiom 
Wales,  called  the  IVdch  Church.  Their  pastor,  Mr.  Jolui 
Stepliens,  from  Newport,  Ptnibrokeshiie,  in  the  Principali- 
ty, \\as  for  a  feu  years  its  pastor.  But  he  has  removed  to 
Uiica,  and  the  church  has  become  extinct. 

A  church  called  Zocu\  because  it  \\as  a  httle  one^  was 
formed  a  few  years  since  from  the  Gold-Street,  which  has 
also  disbanded. 

Besides  these  there  is  a  small  church  in  this  city  of 
Weekly  Communion  Baptists,  and  another  of  Free-Will 
Baptists,  and  how  many  other  kinds  I  know  not. 

At  Oyster  Bay,  ori  Long-Island,  a  churth  arose  in  early 
tinges,  but  the  exact  date  of  its  origin  cannot  be  ascertained, 
A:,  earh  as  17(0,    the   gospel    uas  preached   here  by  one 
W^illiam  Roads,  an  unordained  minister  of  the  Baptist  per- 
sucision,    \\\\o  fled    hiiher  to  avoid  persecution,  from  what 
phue  does  not  appear.      By    his   ministry  a  nun  ber  were 
brought  to  an  acquaintance  with  the  truth,  jfmong  ^^hom 
was  one    Roberl    Fteks,    who   was  ordained   pastor  of  the 
church  ii'  17ii4.  by  Elders  from  Rhode-Island.     In  1741, 
Kider  Feeks  v\rote  to  his  brethren  in  Newport  as  follows  : 
*'  God  has  begun  a  good  work  among  us,  which  I  hope  he 
will   cairx    on.     There  have  been  se\enteen  addtd  to  our 
little  band  in  about  threes-months.     When  Mr.  Feeks  was 
far  ad\anctd  in  years,   this  church  obtained  for  its  pastor 
one  Thomas  Davii,,  uho  laboured  with  them  several  years, 
and  theii  removed  to  other  parts.     After  him  a  young  man 
by  the  name  of  Caleb  W  right,   one  of  their  niembcrs,  en- 
gaged in  the  ministry  ;   his  gifts  appeared  promising  to  an 
uncommon  degree,  a  day  was  appoiiHcd  for  his  ordination, 
which  proved  to  be  the  day  of  his  burial  !  After  this  melan- 
choly event  the  church  w  as  supplied  by  visiting  ministers, 
until  Mr.  Benjamin  Coles,  one  of  their  number,  began  to 
labour  among  them.     Mr.  Coles  was  boru  in  the  township, 
April   6,    1737,   began  to  preach  when  young,    spent  six 
years  w  ith  the  church  at  Stratfield  in  Connecticut,   seven 
with  the  one  at  Hopewell,  and  two  at  the   Scotch   Plains, 
both  in  New-Jersey  ;  the  rest  of  his  ministry  was  spent  in 
Oyster  Bay,   where  he  died  iij  a  good  old  age,  August, 


544  NeW'^ork  Association. 

1810.  A  few  years  before  his  death,  the  infirmities  of  age 
and  a  burdensome  corpulency  disquahfied  him  for  stated 
ministerial  services,  and  as  Mr.  Marmaduke  Earle  had 
removed  to  take  charge  of  an  Academy  in  the  place,  the 
church  invited  him  to  succeed  in  the  pastoral  office.  Un- 
der his  ministry  in  1805  a  revival  commenced,  in  which 
about  a  hundred  members  were  added  by  baptism.  Mr. 
Earle  is  a  native  of  New-York,  and  was  educated  in  the 
college  in  that  city. 

Besides  this  church,  there  are,  on  the  Island,  those  of 
Coram,  Southhold,  and  Newtown,  all  destitute  of  pastors. 
Newtown  is  frequently  supplied  by  ministers  from  New- 
York,  but  the  others,  on  account  of  their  remote  situations, 
are  seldom  visited. 

At  Mount  Pleasant,  on  the  Hudson  River,  thirty-six 
miles  from  New- York,  a  church  was  founded  in  1790  ; 
it  is  now  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Stephen  S.  Nelson,  a  na- 
tive of  Middlebury,  Massachusetts,  formerly  pastor  of 
the  church  in  Hartford,  Connecticut.  In  this  place  the 
New- York  Association  attempted  to  found  an  Academy, 
for  the  purpose  of  assisting  young  preachers  in  their  stud- 
ies. A  convenient  edifice  was  erected,  and  some  meas- 
ures were  taken  to  carry  the  design  into  effect,  which, 
however,  soon  fell  through  for  the  want  of  patronage. 
When  Mr.  Nelson  settled  in  the  place,  he  purchased  the 
building  and  premises,  and  under  his  superintendance,  a 
seminary  of  a  respectable  character  has  been  conducted 
to  the  present  time. 

ATFAV-voKK    ASSOCIATION". 

This  association  was  begun  in  1791.  Most  of  the 
churches,  of  which  it  was  formed,  had  previously  be- 
longed to  the  ancient  Association  of  Philadelphia.  A 
number  of  them  are  situated  in  New-Jersey,  where  they 
will  be  noticed  under  the  next  head.  This  body  has  uni- 
formly held  its  anniversaries  in  the  city  where  it  was  form- 
ed ;  nothing  special  occurred  in  its  progress  until  1812, 
when,  on  account  of  the  affair  of  Mr.  Parkinson,  a  num- 
ber of  its  churches  withdrew,  and  no\v  remain  out  of  any 
associate  connexion. 


PFar\\}ick  Association.  545 


WARWICK    ASSOCIATION. 

This  body  was  also  formed  in  1791,  and  its  oldest 
diurches  had  before  stood  connected  in  the  same  Absocia- 
tion  with  those  of  the  one  last  mentioned.  They  are  sit- 
uated some  distance  up  the  country  on  both  sides  of  the 
Hudson  River. 

The  Warwick  church,  from  which  this  Association 
received  its  name,  was  planted  in  1766,  by  Mr.  James 
Benedict,  from  Ridge^eld,  Connecticut,  who  became  its 
pastor,  and  continued  in  that  office  till  his  death.  This 
church  at  first  was  exceeding  small,  but  the  year  after  it 
was  formed,  it  increased  to  about  70,  and  soon  amounted 
to  200,  when  it  began  to  branch  out  in  different  directions, 
and  from  it  were  set  off  in  the  early  stage  of  its  existence, 
Wantage,  Deer  Park,  Middleton,  &:c.  In  1769,  it  joined 
the  Philadelphia  Association,  under  the  name  of  Goshen. 
After  Mr.  Benedict  was  Mr.  Thomas  Jones,  and  then  Mr, 
Thomas  Montanye,  who  was  ordained  its  pastor  in  1788, 
at  which  time  the  war  had  so  scattered  its  members,  that 
but  about  thirty  were  to  be  found,  and  these  were  spread 
over  a  circumference  of  almost  as  many  miles.  Soon  a 
revival  commenced,  and  in  less  than  a  year  and  a  half  140 
were  added  by  baptism.  Many  of  these  soon  dispersed 
to  the  western  country  and  other  parts,  and  b)  them  a 
number  of  other  churches  were  founded.  Mr.  Montanye, 
after  labouring  here  a  few  years,  removed  to  his  present 
situation  at  Southampton,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  succeed- 
ed by  Mr.  Thomas  Stephens,  who  tarried  with  them  but 
a  short  time.  Successor  to  him  was  Lebeus  Lathrop, 
their  present  pastor.  They  have  lately  built  a  commodi- 
ous house  for  worship,  and  have  an  estate  supposed  to  be 
worth  about  1500  dollars.  From  this  church  originate^ 
James  Finn,  Amos  and  Moses  Parks,  Dr.  John  Munro, 
late  of  Galway  in  this  State,  Jehlel  Wisner,  and  Ephraim 
Sanford. 

Mr.  John  Gano  resided  a  number  of  years  within  the 
bounds  of  this  church,  while  exiled  from  his  station  at 
New- York, 

vox..  I.  69 


546  Union  Associatioii. 


UNION    ASSOCIATION 

Was  organized  in  1809.  Some  of  its  churches  had 
belonged  to  the  one  last  mentioned,  a  few  came  off  from 
the  Danbury,  the  others  had  not  been  in  any  associate 
connexion.  The  centre  of  this  body  is  about  sixty  miles 
above  the  city  of  New- York,  on  the  east  side  of  HudsoFi 
River  ;  four  of  the  churches  are  in  Connecticut. 

In  the  town  of  Fishkill  are  two  churches  belonging  to  this 
Association,  but  no  historical  accounts  of  them  have  come 
to  hand.  It  appears  there  was  a  church  in  this  town  as 
early  as  1745,  of  which  Mr.  Holstead  was  pastor. 

On  north  of  this  Association  are  a  number  of  churches, 
which  arose  in  early  times  ;  they  are  situated  in  Dutchess 
county,  about  70  or  80  miles  north  of  the  metropolis  of 
the  State,  at  no  great  distance  from  the  western  line  of 
Connecticut.  Here  seems  to  have  been  a  distinguished 
resort  for  Baptists,  when  there  were  but  few  in  any  other 
part  of  the  State. 

In  this  region  a  considerable  number  of  preachers  have 
laboured  at  different  times  for  about  sixty  years  past,  and 
a  still  greater  number  have  emigrated  from  it  to  other 
parts.  Elders  Dakin,  Waldo,  and  Bullock,  appear  to 
have  been  the  most  distinguished  of  the  company,  and  of 
them  we  shall  give  some  brief  accounts  in  speaking  of  the 
churches  which  arose  under  their  labours. 

Northeast  Towfi. — The  church,  which  at  present  bears 
this  name,  was,  according  to  the  best  information,  begun 
about  the  time  of  the  remarkable  revival  under  Whitefield, 
Tennant,  and  others,  to  which  we  have  so  frequently  re- 
ferred in  the  history  of  the  New-England  States.  While 
that  work  was  going  on,  a  number  of  the  mem!)ers  of  a 
Presbyterian  church,  in  a  place  then  called  South -Precinct, 
now  Franklin,  withdrew  and  joined  one  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  Congregational  order,  which  held  to  open 
communion.  Among  these  dissenters  was  Mr.  Simon 
Dakiti  and  many  others,  who  soon  fell  in  with  Baptist 
principles,  and  founded  a  church  in  1751,  of  which  Mr. 
Dakin  was  ordained  pastor  about  three  years  after.  Re- 
specting the  early  movements  of  this  church  no  historical 
accounts  can  be  obtained,  as   the   Hervcys,    its  principal 


Simon  Dakin. . . .  Dcuer  Churches. . . .  Savmel  Waldo.     547 

promoters,  some  years  after  it  began,  removed  beyond 
the  Hudson  Ri\  er,  and  carried  the  records  with  them. 
But  WQ  are  informed,  that  Mr.  Dakin's  ministry  was 
greatly  blessed,  and  that  a  numerous  church  arose,  which 
branched  out  to  different  places.  Some  removed  to  what 
is  now  called  Northeast  Toun,  where  a  church  was  gath- 
ered urder  the  ministry  of  Mr.  James  Philips,  who,  after 
serving  it  some  years,  went  to  Fishkill.  To  this  place 
Mr.  Dakin  repaired  in  1773  ;  many  of  his  church  in  Fiank- 
lin  it  seems  came  with  him ;  what  were  left  behind  fell  in 
with  a  southern  branch,  m  hich  arose  under  tlie  ministry  of 
Mr.  Nathan  Cole,  one  of  Mr.  Dakin's  members. 

In  Northeast  Town  Mr.  Dakin  spent  the  most  of  his 
long  and  pious  ministry.  He  was  born  in  Concord,  Mas- 
isachusctts,  1721,  came  with  his  father  to  this  region  at 
the  age  of  sixteen,  and  died  in  1803,  in  the  83d  year  of 
his  age,  and  the  50th  of  his  ministry,  leaving  behind  him* 
a  character  fair,  amiable,  and  unspotted.  The  church  is 
now  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Isaac  Allerton  ;  from  it  orig- 
inated Mr.  James  M.  WincheM,  now  preaching  with  the 
first  church  in  Boston. 

In  Dover,  below  Northeast  Town,  are  two  churches, 
Avhich  arose  from  one  founded  by  Elder  William  Marsh 
from  New- Jersey,  in  1755.  Mr.  Marsh  was  succeeded 
in  the  pastoral  office  by  the  late  Samuel  Waldo,  in 
1738,  who  ministered  here  with  much  reputation  and 
success,  upwards  of  thirty-five  years.  This  church 
"was  at  first  called  Beekman's  Precinct,  and  under  that 
name  belonged  to  the  Philadelphia  Association  as  early 
as  1772,  and  probably  much  earlier.  It  afterwards  took 
the  name  of  Pauling's  Precinct,  then  of  Pauling's  town, 
and  finally  it  assumed  the  name  it  now  bears.  In  1762, 
a  church  was  set  off  from  this  in  a  place  called  the  Ob- 
long. In  17P4,  another  \\as  formed  from  it,  which  took 
the  name  of  the  Second  in  Dover  ;  and  besides  these 
branches  multitudes  of  its  members  ha\e  emigrated  at  dif- 
ferent times  to  many  places  in  Vermont  and  other  parts. 

Mr.  Waldo  was  born  in  the  eastern  part  of  Connecticut  in 
17? 9,  but  was  brought  up  in  Mansfield  in  that  State.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  professed  religion  in  the  Baptist 
connexion,  and  soon  after  was  ordained  to  the  pastoral 
office  in  the  church  under  consideration.  His  parents  be- 
longed to  a  Presbyterian  church,  but  became  Baptists  aftej: 


548       A  Church  formed  in  the  Great  Nine  Fariners- 

this  son  united  with  the  denomination.  Mr.  Waldo's 
ministry  was  distinguished  for  nothing  so  much  as  piety 
and  success.  Those,  who  were  long  acquainted  with  him, 
speak  of  him  in  the  highest  terms  of  approbation,  as  a  man 
of  ap  unspotted  life,  of  a  sound  mind,  unusually  edifying 
as  a  preacher,  affable  and  engaging  in  every  circle,  skill- 
fwl  in  the  discii)line  of  his  church,  remarkable  and  inimita- 
ble in  the  government  of  his  family  ;  in  a  word,  in  him  was 
united  every  qualification,  necessary  for  a  plain,  profitable, 
and  sutce^isful  minister  of  the  cross.  Soon  after  he  settled 
'»vith  this  church,  a  revival  commenced  in  which  over  sixty 
were  added  in  a  short  time. 

In  1775,  another  refreshing  season  was  granted,  in 
which  over  fifty  were  added  to  his  flock  in  about  ten 
months.  Besides  seasons  of  special  revival,  he  had  many 
seals  of  his  ministry  during  the  whole  of  its  continuance. 
Having  served  this  church  over  thirty-five  years,  he  was 
called  away  to  receive  his  reward,  1792,  in  the  62d  year 
of  his  age.  His  widow  is  yet  living,  aged  82.  Seven 
children  out  of  nine  he  had  the  happiness  of  receiving  into 
his  church  before  his  death.  One  of  his  sons  is  now  resi- 
dent in  Georgetown,  South-Carolina. 

Since  the  death  of  this  vererable  pastor,  the  church  has 
had  various  supplies,  but  have  lately  settled  among  them 
a  pastor  by  the  name  of  Elisha  Booth. 

In  the  Great  Nine  Partners  a  church  was  formed  under 
the  ministry  of  the  late  Elder  Comer  Bullock,  about  1779  ; 
it  has,  at  times,  flourished  much,  and  embraced  a  multi- 
tude of  members  in  many  of  the  surrounding  parts  of  the 
country.  In  1790,  according  to  Asplund's  Register,  it 
contained  370  members,  and  its  preachers,  besides  Elder 
Bullock,  were  Christopher  Newcum,  Christopher  New- 
cum,  jr.  Nicholas  Hare,  James  Purdy,  and  Abraham  Ad- 
ams. Mr.  Bullock  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Massachu- 
setts, probably  about  1736  ;  was  named  after  John  Comer, 
once  pastor  of  a  church  in  that  town,  to  which  he  l)elong- 
ed  before  his  removal  to  this  place,  where  he  was  ordained 
about  1780,  by  Elders  Charles  Thompson,  then  of  War- 
ren, and  Samuel  Hicks  of  the  place  of  his  nativity.  Mr. 
Bullock  finished  his  pious  course  in  1811. 

Jn  the  neighbourhood  of  Mr.  Bullock's  church,  another 
arose  in  1788,   to  which  Dr.  Gano,   now  of  Providence, 


Churches  founded  in  Foughkeepsie  £s?  Neiv-  Canaan.     549 

ministered  a  few  j'ears  before   his  removal  to  his  present 
station. 

In  Poughkeepsie  a  church  was  founded  in  1807,  part- 
ly out  of  the  ruins  of  one,  which  had  existed  in  the 
place  a  k\\  }ears  before,  under  the  ministry  of  a  boisterous 
preacher  by  the  name  of  Palmer.  They  had  for  their  pas- 
tor a  short  time  after  their  re-organization,  Mr.  Francis 
Wayland,  now  of  Troy,  above  Albany.  Their  present 
pastor  is  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Lewis  Leonard, 
from  Bridgewater,  Massachusetts.  They  have  a  new  com- 
modious house  of  worship,  and  appear  in  a  promising  con- 
dition. 


As  we  go  north  from  this  region,  we  find  sixteen 
churches,  belonging  to  the  Shaftsbury  Association,  con- 
taining about  half  of  the  members  of  that  body. 

In  New-Canaan  a  church  was  planted  over  forty  years 
ago  by  Elder  Jacob  Drake,  from  which  many  others  orig- 
inated. Mr.  Drake  removed  from  Windsor,  Connecti- 
cut, and  settled  in  this  town  in  1769.  He  was  then  a 
Pedobaptist  minister  of  the  Separate  connexion,  and  fi.nd-> 
ing  a  number  of  his  own  persuasion  in  the  neighbourhood, 
he  formed  them  into  a  church  and  was  ordained  their  pas- 
tor, 1770.  After  travelling  on  the  Pedobaptist  plan  about 
eight  or  nine  years,  he,  with  many  of  his  flock,  embraced 
the  Baptist  principles,  and  formed  a  church  of  baptized 
believers  only.  One  article  of  their  covenant  was,  "  A 
church  consists  of  a  Pastor  and  Teacher,  Ruling  Elders 
and  Deacons."  Mr.  Drake  travelled  and  preached  abun- 
dantly with  great  success,  insomuch  that  his  church  in 
ten  years  from  its  beginning  amounted  to  between  five 
and  six  hundred  members.  They  were  spread  over  a 
great  extent  of  country,  not  only  in  the  neighbouring 
towns,  but  branches  were  scattered  at  many  miles  distant, 
on  both  sides  of  the  Hudson  River,  for  wherever  Mr. 
Drake  baptized  any  disciples,  he  gave  them  fellowship  as 
members  of  his  flock.  When  this  wide-spread  church 
contained  the  number  just  mentioned,  there  w^re  in  it, 
besides  its  pastor,  eleven  Teachers  and  Ruling  Elders. 
Their  names  were  David  Skeels,  Bariah  Kelly,  jun. 
David  Mudge,  Jeduthan  Gray,  Reuben  Mudge,  John 
Mudge,  Nathaniel  Kellogg,   Hezekiah  Baldwin,  Aaron 


550  Berl'in  Church.., .Justus Hull. 

Drake,  jiin.  Nathaniel  Culver  and  Asahel  Dralce.  The 
four  last  were  Ruling  Elders,  but  had  a  right  to  administer 
ordinances.  Dr.  Gano  of  Providence  was  about  this  time 
preaching  at  Hillsdale,  not  far  distant,  \yhere  he  founded 
a  church,  which  he  served  a  number  of  years  ;  he  labour- 
cd  with  Mr.  Drake's  people  to  show  them  the  impropriety 
of  their  proceedines,  and  mostly  by  his  influence  they  set 
ofFfrom  their  great  nnwieldly  body,  five  distinct  churches 
in  1789,  viz.  Great  B  irrington  and  Egremont,  Warrcn'5 
Bush,  Coeyman's  Patent,  Duane's  Bush,  and  Rensellaer- 
ville.  The  church  in  West-Stockbridge  had  been  formed 
from  it  in  1781,  and  the  one  at  New-Concord  was  set  off 
in  1791.  Thus,  from  the  labours  of  this  itinerating  pas- 
tor  and  his  spiritual  sons,  arose  eight  churches  in  the 
course  of  about  twelve  years.  "  Some,"  observes  Mr. 
John  Leland,  who  furnished  this  account,  "  say  that  Mr. 
Drake  contended  for  an  Apostolical  gift  ;  be  that  as  it 
may,  he  has  been  a  successful  preacher,  and  he  is  the  best 
fisherman^  who  catches  the  most//V2,"  &.c. 

In  1792,  Mr.  Diake  removed  to  Wyoming  in  Penns}!- 
vania,  \\here  he  founded  a  church,  which  has  spread  ex- 
tensively, along  the  Susqnehannah  River.  In  this  country 
he  died  at  an  ;2dvanced  age,  having  been  some  time  blind' ; 
the  date  of  his  death  I  have  not  learnt.  The  Church  at 
Canaan,  after  having  adopted  some  different  maxims,  was 
received  into  the  Shaftsbury  Association.  It  is  now  in  a 
feeble  Slate  v.ithout  a  pastor.  A  second  church  was  form- 
ed in  this  town  in  1793,   which  is  also  destitute. 

In  Berlin  a  cliurch  arose  in  1785,  under  the  ministry  of 
Mr.  Justus  Hull,  which  has  been  distinguished  frjr  unusu- 
al prosperity,  and  now  contains  over  600  members.  It 
was  at  first  called  Little  lioosick,  from  the  name  of  a  river 
on  which  it  is  situated.  Afterwards  it  was  named  Ste- 
phentown,  then  Stephentoun  and  Petersburgh  ;  these  fre- 
quent changes  of  name  would  puzzle  the  searcher  of  regis- 
ters to  identily  this  body,  were  it  not  that  Justus  Hull  has, 
from  first  to  last,  been  its  pastor.  Some  of  its  original 
members  removed  from  Exeter,  Rhode-Island.  Mr,  Hull" 
was  born  in  Reading,  Connecticut,  in  1755,  where,  and  in 
different  parts  near,  he,  not  long  after  his  commencement 
in  the  ministry,  laboured  with  good  effect. 

A  revival   of  an  uncommon  nature  was  experienced  in 
Berhn  in  1811  ;  over  200  joined  the  church  under  consid- 


Cambr'idg  e  Church. . . .  Brother  fights  against  Brother.   551 

eration.  Fifty-seven  were  baptized  in  one  day,  in  the 
space  of  thirty -two  minutes.  Over  100  joined  the  Sabba- 
tarians, and  about  thirty  were  added  to  the  open  commu- 
nion church  in  the  town.* 

By  this  church  were  sent  into  the  ministry  Robert  Niles, 
Eber  Moffit,  Alderman  Baker,  and  probably  many  others. 

In  Albany,  Troy,  and  Lansingbiir^h,  all  within  nine 
miles  of  each  other,  on  the  Hudson  River,  are  churches, 
which  do  not  appear  to  have  been  marked  with  any  pecu- 
liar events.  The  church  in  Troy  was  formed  in  1795, 
under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Elias  Lee,  now  at  the  Balls- 
town  Springs.  It  has  a  commodious  house  for  worship, 
and  is  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Francis  Wayland,  a  native  of 
England,  who  was  sent  into  the  ministry  by  the  Fayette 
Street  church  in  the  city  of  New- York. 

The  church  in  Lansingburo;h  is  three  miles  north  of  it. 
Its  late  pastor,  Mr.  Nathaniel  Kendrick,  is  now  at  Middle- 
bury,   Vermont. 

In  the  city  of  Albany  a  small  Baptist  church  was  gath- 
ered in  1811,  which  has  since  increased  to  upwards  of 
seventy  members.  Soon  after  they  were  embodied,  a  re- 
vival commenced  under  the  ministry  of  Elder  Joseph 
Utley,  belonging  to  the  second  church  in  Groton,  Connec- 
ticut. This  work  progressed  under  the  labours  of  Mr. 
Francis  Wayland  of  Troy.  The  church  is  now  under  the 
eare  of  Mr.  Isaac  VV^ebb,  from  Ireland. 

In  Cambridge  a  church  was  planted  in  1772,  by  Elder 
William  Wait  from  Rhode-Island.  It  was  at  first  called 
White's  Creek,  is  situated  near  the  line  of  Vermont,  and 
within  half  a  mile  of  Elder  Wait's  house  the  Bennington 
Battle  terminated.  The  night  before  the  battle,  some 
of  his  church  went  over  to  the  enemy,  where  they  were 
obliged  to  fight,  and  during  the  bloody  conflict  the  heav- 
ens and  the  earth  witnessed  the  shocking  spectacle  of 
brethren,  who,  but  a  few  days  before  had  set  together  at 
the  table  of  the  Lord,  arranged  in  direful  hostility  against 
each  other,  amidst  the  clangor  of  arms  and  the  rage  of  battle. 
B:Other  fighting  against  brother  !  Such  are  the  horrors- 
and  unnatural  eftects  of  war  !  O,  tell  it  not  in  Gath,  pub- 
lish it  not  in  the  streets  of  Ashkelon.  This  melancholy 
affair  threw  the  church  into  confusion,   and  entirely  broke 

•  M.  B,  M,  Magazine,  Vol.  iii.  p.  172—3. 


'5  52  Granmlle. . . .  RenseHaeriiUle  Association. 

it  up.  The  next  year  Mr.  Wait  collected  three  members 
besides  himself,  and  began  anew,  a  revival  soon  commenc- 
ed, so  that,  in  1780,  the  number  amounted  to  140.  It 
is  now  something  smaller,  and  has  for  its  pastor  Elder 
Obed  Warren,  a  native  of  Dudley,  Massachusetts,  who 
has  long  been  with  the  Salem  church,  still  above  this. 
Mr.  Warren  has  been  a  successful  minister  in  these  parts, 
and  has  at  different  times  travelled  and  laboured  much  iii 
regions  remote  and  destitute. 

In  Granville,  not  far  from  the  place  last  mentioned,  a 
church  was  gathered  in  1783  by  Elder  Richard  Sill  frorn. 
Connecticut,  whose  ministerial  course  was  short  but  high- 
ly respectable  and  useful.  The  church  has  had  since  his 
death  various  supplies,  but  since  1806  has  been  under  the 
cai^e  of  Mr.  Samuel  Rou  ley,  a  native  of  Rutland  in  Ver- 
mont. Under  his  labour  they  have  enjoyed  a  season  of 
revival,  and  have  been  built  up  to  a  large  and  flourishing 
community. 

RENSELLAERVILLE    ASSOCIATION". 

This  Association  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson 
River,  and  many  of  the  churches  composing  it  are  at  no 
great  distance  from  it.  The  town  from  which  it  took  its 
name  is  about  twenty  miles  south-west  of  Albany.  It  be- 
gan in  1796,  with  only  three  churches,  viz.  two  in  Rensel- 
laerville  and  one  in  Broome.  It  has  since  increased  to 
over  twenty  churches,  and  nearly  two  thousand  members, 
but  has  been  much  reduced  lately  by  dismissing  churches 
to  associate  elsewhere.  Many  of  the  members  of  this 
community  removed  hither  from  New-England.  Elder 
Philip  Jenkins,  late  pastor  of  the  church  in  Bern,  died  in 
1811,  in  the  85th  year  of  his  age.  He  was  born  in  one 
of  the  Kingstons,  Rhode-Island,  in  1727  ;  was  first  a 
member,  then  a  deacon  of  the  church  in  Exeter,  in  that 
State.  After  he  began  to  preach  he  planted  a  church  in 
North-Kingston,  which  he  continued  to  serve  until  about 
1795,  when  he  removed  to  this  pat  t  of  the  vineyard.  For 
more  than  half  a  century  Mr.  Jenkins  was  zealously  engag- 
ed in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  according  to  Air.  An- 
drew Brown,  one  of  his  members,  was  a  man  of  eminent 
piety  arid  usefulness,  during  the  whole  of  his  long  and 
unspotted  life. 


Saratoga  Associauo7i.,.StiIhvater  Church.        553 


SARATOGA    ASSOCIATION. 

This  Association  was  formed  by  a  division  of  the  Shafts- 
bury  in  1805.  The  churches  of  which  it  is  composed  are 
mostly  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson  River,  between  that 
and  the  Mohawk,  and  are  scattered  in  every  direction 
around  the  famous  Saratoga  Springs.  The  ground  occu- 
pied by  this  body  was,  for  the  most  part,  in  a  wilderness 
state  at  the  close  of  the  American  war,  and  very  few  of  the 
churches  were  constituted  previous  to  1790.  A  number 
of  them  are  large,  but  as  no  accounts  of  their  origin  and 
progress  have  been  communicated,  but  little  can  be  said 
respecting  them.  At  the  Ballstown  Springs  is  a  church 
under  the  care  of  Elder  Elias  Lee,  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
whose  name  is  known  throughout  an  extensive  circle,  on 
account  of  his  publishing  a  number  of  well-written  pieces 
on  different  points  of  theological  controversy.  In  this 
church  a  very  extraordinary  case  of  healing  took  place  in 
the  person  of  Martha  Howel,  a  few  years  since,  who,  from 
a  state  of  helpless  decrepitude,  was  suddenly  restored  to 
perfect  soundness,  without  the  application  of  any  externa! 
means.  Those,  who  may  wish  to  gain  more  particular 
information  of  this  uncommon  occurrence,  may  find  it  in  a 
pamphlet  published  by  Elder  Lee. 

The  late  eminent  Lemuel  Covel  was  sent  into  the  min- 
istry by  the  church  of  Providence,  belonging  to  this  Asso- 
ciation, now  under  the  care  of  Elder  Jonathan  Finch. 

At  Stillwater,  within  the  bounds  of  this  community, 
and  near  the  place  where  General  Burgoyne  was  taken,  a 
church  ^vas  formed  over  forty  years  ago,  w  hich  was  broken 
up  and  scattered  by  the  devastations  of  the  war.  About 
1780,  Elders  Beriah  Kelly,  one  of  Mr.  Drake's  connex^ 
ion,  and  Lemuel  Powers  from  Northbridge,  Massachu- 
setts, began  to  labour  in  the  place,  and  raised  two  distinct 
churches,  which  in  about  ten  years  were  incorporated  in- 
to one  under  the  care  of  Elder  Powers.  This  church  in- 
creased  abundantly  and  spread  its  branches  into  all  the 
surrounding  country,  insomuch  that  in  1793,  after  between 
forty  and  fifty  had  been  set  off  from  it,  to  found  the  church 
at  Fish  Creek,  it  contained  upwards  of  four  liundred  mem- 
bers.    But  in  ten  years  from  that  time  it  was  redu<"ed  to  a 

VOL.  I.  70 


5S4  Lake  George  Associatidu. 

little  more  than  twenty,  and  is  now  small,  though  begin-f 
ning  again  to  revive.  The  cause  of  this  dispersion  was 
owing  parly  to  the  spirit  of  emigration,  whieh  possessed 
the  members,  but  mostly  to  some  misconduct  in  their  pas- 
tor, or  at  least  to  some  reports  unfavourable  to  his  chasti- 
ty. He  confessed  he  had  been  imprudent,  but  at  the  time, 
and  in  his  dying  moments,  denied  having  been  actually 
guilty.  But  so  it  was,  that  his  usefulness  was  ruined,  his 
church  scattered,  and  he  went  mourning  down  to  his  grave, 
which  he  entered  in  peace  in  1800,  in  the  45th  year  of  his 

The  dispersion  of  this  great  body  might  well  be  com- 
pared to  a  shipwreck :  and  on  that  account,  Mr.  Lelard, 
being  called  to  preach  among  them  in  the  time  of  their 
troubles,  took  for  his  text,  Acts  xxvii.  44,  And  some  on 
boards,  and  some  on  broken  pieces  of  the  ship — and  so  it  came 
to  pass,  that  they  all  escaped  safe  to  land.  The  members 
though  scattered  were  not  lost,  but  united  w-ith  the  other 
surrounding  churches.  Elder  David  Irish,  once  a  mem- 
ber of  this  church,  and  an  assistant  to  Mr.  Powers,  is  now 
in  Aurelius,  in  the  western  part  of  this  State. 

The  church  in  Clifton  Park,  but  eight  or  ten  miles  west- 
ward of  Half  Moon  Point,  did  not  see  fit  to  take  a  dismis- 
sion  with  the  rest  of  the  Saratoga  churches,  but  still  be- 
longs to  the  Shaftsbury  Association.  It  is  a  large  and 
flourishing  community,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Elder 
Abijaii  Peck. 

LAKE    GEORGE    ASSGCIxVTIOI^J 

Is  still  north  of  the  one  last  described.  It  is  a  small 
body,  formed  about  the  year  1809.  Its  name  suggests  its 
local  situation.  Elder  Jehiel  Fox,  formerly  of  St.  Coyt, 
appears  to  have  been  the  first  Baptist  minister  in  these 
parts.  He  settled  in  Chester  in  1797,  and  in  this  then  des- 
titute region,  in  the  course  of  about  twelve  years,  travelled 
about  as  many  thousand  miles,  to  sound  the  gospel  to  the 
scattered  inhabitants.  Elder  Daniel  IM'Bride,  a  few  years 
since,  was  sent  into  the  ministry  by  the  church  in  Chester, 
funded  by  Mr.  Fox,  and  is  now  labouring  with  good 
effect  in  those  parts.  Mr.  James  Whitehead,  the  third 
minister  in  the  Association,  has  lately  removed  to  the 
State  of  Vermont. 


St.  Lawrence  J  Black  Rivefy  and  Otsego  Associations,  555 


THE    ESSEX    ASSOCIATIOIf 

Is  in  the  north-east  corner  of  this  State,  on  the  western 
shore  of  Lake  Champlain.  It  was  formed  in  1802.  The 
first  and  almost  only  minister  in  these  parts  for  many- 
years  was  Elder  Solomon  Brown,  by  whom  most  of  the 
first  churches  in  this  body  were  planted.  * 

ST.    LAWRENCE    ASSOCIATION 

Was  begun  in  1812,  of  a  few  small  churches  mostly 
the  fruits  of  missionary  labours.  It  took  its  name  frona 
the  country  in  which  the  churches  arc  situated,  which  was 
called  after  a  well  known  river,  which  proceeds  from 
Lake  Ontario. 

BLACK    RIVER    ASSOCIATION. 

This  Association  takes  its  name  from  that  of  a  newly 
settled  region,  near  the  east  end  of  Lake  Ontario.  It  was 
formed  in  1808.  One  of  their  principal  ministers  is  Elder 
Emery  Osg-ood,  from  Massachusetts,  who  settled  here  in 
1803,  at  which  time  there  was  no  ordained  minister  of  the 
Baptist  order  within  sixty  miles  of  him.  At  Turin,  with- 
in the  bounds  of  this  Association,  now  resides  Elder 
Stephen  Parsons,  formerly  of  Middletown,  Connecticut. 

In  what  Is  usually  called  the  western  part  of  New- York, 
that  is,  in  that  vast  range  of  territory  west  of  the  old  set- 
tlements on  the  Hudson  and  Mohawk  Rivers,  between 
the  northern  Lakes  and  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  is  a 
very  large  assemblage  of  churches,  which  have  mostly 
been  planted  within  less  than  twenty  years  past.  They 
are,  with  a  very  few  exceptions,  included  in  the  Otsego, 
Madison,  Franklin,  Cayuga,  and  Holland  Purchase  As- 
sociations, which  we  shall  briefly  describe  in  the  order 
here  stated. 

OTSEGO. 

This  Association  was  organized  in  1795  ;  but  was 
begun  under  the  name  of  a  Conference  the  year  before. 
At  the  time  of  its  organization,  Elders  Werden,  Cornell, 


$56      Madisoti^  Franklin^  and  Cayuga  Associations, 

and  Craw,  from  the  Shaftsbury  Association,  were  present 
to  counsel  and  assist  them.  The  churches,  of  which  it 
was  composed,  had  arisen  very  suddenly  in  the  infant 
settlements  around,  and  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
Otsego  Lake,  about  sixty  or  seventy  miles  west  of  Alba- 
ny. This  Association  began  under  very  encouraging 
prospects,  and  increased  A\ith  great  rapidity,  so  that  by 
the  vear  1807,  twelve  years  from  its  commencement,  its 
churches  amounted  to  fifty-five,  its  preachers  to  thirty,  and 
its  communicants  to  upwards  of  3000.  It  had  then  be- 
come so  extensive,  that  a  division  was  thought  proper  ; 
accordingly  in  1808,  a  number  of  the  western  churches 
were  dismissed  and  united  with  others  in  forming  an 
Association,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of 

MADISON. 

It  consisted  at  first  of  eighteen  churches  and  fourteen 
ministers,  among  whom  were  some  of  the  principal  ones  in 
the  country.  Its  total  number  of  members  amounted  to 
a  little  more  than  a  thousand. 

FRANKLIN. 

This  Association  was  formed  in  the  southern  bounds 
of  the  Otsego,  and  of  churches  mostly  from  that  bodv  in 
1811.  It  received  its  name  from  the  town  of  Franklin, 
in  the  county  of  Delaware,  where  there  is  a  church  of 
more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  members,  by  far  the 
largest  in  this  body. 

CAYUGA. 

This  Association  lies  at  a  considerable  distance  to  the 
westward  of  those  just  mentioned,  around  the  lake  from 
which  it  received  its  name. 

In  1799,  a  number  of  churches  in  this  quarter  united 
together,  under  the  name  of  the  Scipio  General  Conference, 
which  arose  to  an  Association  in  1801.  It  had,  in  1811, 
increased  to  38  churches,  24  ministers,  and  over  3000 
members. 

From  diese  brief  sketches  of  the  rise  of  these  four  As- 
sociations, we  shall  proceed  to  some  general  observa^tions 
on  their  boundaries,  ministers,  &.c. 


Boundaries  and  general  Account  of  four  Associations.    557 

The  Otsego  Association,  in  1799,  extended  from  east 
to  west  about  140  miles,  and  from  north  to  south  not  far 
from  60.  It  probably  became  much  more  extensive  be- 
fore it  was  divided  in  1808.  But  after  fitting  out  two 
Associations,  it  is  reduced  to  narrower  limits,  which  I  am 
not  able  precisely  to  state  ;  it  is,  however,  sufficient  to  say, 
that  its  churches  are  on  both  sides  of  the  Mohauk  River, 
on  the  head  waters  of  the  Unadilla  River,  the  Butternut 
Creek,  and  about  the  Otsego  Lake. 

The  churches  of  the  Madison  Association  are  on  the 
east,  west,  and  middle  branches  of  the  Chenango  River, 
and  the  east  range  of  townships  in  the  Military  Tract,  so 
called,  extending  about  fifty  miles  north  and  south,  and 
forty  east  and  west. 

The  Franklin  x\ssociation  lies  mostly  between  the 
Delaware  and  Chenango  Rivers,  and  extends  from  the 
southern  bounds  of  the  Otsego  Association,  on  south  to- 
wards the  State  of  Pennsyhania. 

The  Cayuga  Association  occupies  an  extent  of  country 
of  about  a  hundred  miles  from  east  to  west,  and  not  far 
from  forty  north  and  south.  Its  churches  are  situated  on 
the  east,  west,  and  north  sides  of  the  Cayuga  and  Senec^ 
Lakes,  and  are  scattered  along  westward  as  far  as  the  Gen- 
essee  River.  This  extensive  body  will  probably  be  soor^ 
divided.  In  its  bounds  are  at  least  five  churches  of  re- 
spectable standing,  which  have  not  yet  associated,  besides^ 
many  collections  of  brethren,  called  conferences,  which  are 
maturing  for  churches. 

In  these  four  Associations  are  now  a  hundred  and  thirty 
odd  churches,  about  seventy  ministers,  and  not  far  from 
nine  thousand  members.  These  churches,  with  a  very 
few  exceptions,  have  been  raised  up  in  the  space  of  about 
twenty  years.  Most  of  the  ministers  by  whom  they  have 
been  planted  are  still  alive,  and  actively  engaged  in  this 
part  of  the  Lord's  vineyard.  Many  of  them,  especially  of 
the  older  class,  began  their  labours  in  this  wilderness  re- 
gion, under  many  trials  and  disadvantages,  being  gener- 
ally low  in  their  worldly  circumstances,  and  often  too 
much  neglected  by  the  churches.  But  we  are  happy  to 
state,  that  they  now  enjoy  a  competence  of  worldly  things, 
and  some  have  arisen  to  a  considerable  degree  of  opulence, 


558  Account  of  Elders  Hosmer  and  Funnan. 

not  by  the  munificence  of  their  brethren,  but  by  the  smiles 
of  Providence  on  their  own  exertions. 

Among  the  large  body  of  elders  in  these  Associations, 
William  Furmiin,  Joel  Butler,  Ashbel  Hosmer,  and  Da- 
vid Irish,  are  represented  by  their  brethren  as  having  been 
the  most  successful  in  their  labours.  Mr.  Irish  removed  to 
Scipio  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  place,  and  planted  a 
church  in  1795,  which  now  contains  about  250  members. 
He  has  sometime  been  pastor  of  a  church  in  AureUus, 
whose  members  amount  to  over  four  hundred.  When  he 
settled  at  Scipio,  there  was  no  Baptist  minister  in  regular 
standing,  (impostors  were  plenty)  within  more  than  a  hun- 
dred miles  of  him,  and  most  of  the  way  was  through  a 
wilderness.  In  this  western  region  he  has  baptized  about 
a  thousand  persons. 

Elder  Hosmer  was  born  in  West-Hartford,  Connecticut, 
1758.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  entered  the  service  of 
his  country,  in  which  he  received  a  severe  wound.  When 
about  thirty  years  of  age,  he  was  baptized  and  became 
a  member  of  the  church  in  Canaan,  in  his  native  State, 
where  he  began  to  preach  soon  after.  From  that  place 
he  removed  to  Wallingford,  where  he  was  ordained  in 
1792,  and  three  years  after  settled  in  Burlington,  New- 
York.  In  that  place  he  resided  a  number  of  years,  and 
travelled  and  preached  abundantly  in  all  the  surrounding 
country,  being  poor  and  often  much  straitened  in  his 
worldly  circumstances.  From  Burlington  he  removed  to 
Hamilton,  where  he  resided  till  his  death.  There  he 
found  himself  among  a  people,  who  knew  how  to  explain 
aright. the  Apostle's  meaning,  when  he  says,  T/iey^  that 
preach  the  gospel ^  shall  live  of  the  gospel. — By  them  he 
was  placed  in  circumstances  easy  and  comfortable.  But 
in  the  midst  of  a  course  of  distinguished  usefulness,  this 
eminent  servant  of  God  and  the  churches  was  suddenly 
arrested  with  a  violent  fever,  of  which  he  died  iVpril,  1812, 
in  the  55th  year  of  his  age. 

Elder  William  Furman  removed  from  St.  Coyt,  not  far 
from  Albany,  and  settled  in  Springfield  at  the  head  of  the 
Otsego  Lake  in  1789.  After  labouring  many  years  in  that 
quarter,  lie  removed  to  Avon,  within  the  bounds  of  die 
(Jayuga  Association,  where  he  died  in  1812,  mc^'I 


Holland  Purchase  Conference.  559 

Elder  Joel  Butler,  from  what  place  I  do  not  find,  settled 
between  the  two  Canada  Creeks,  north  of  the  Mohawk 
River,  in  1793.  He  lately  had  the  misfortune  to  fall  into 
the  fire  in  a  fit^  which  afflictive  event  has  mostly  laid  him 
by  from  his  ministerial  labours. 

By  the  three  last  mentioned  ministers,  most  of  the  first 
churches  in  the  Otsego  Association  were  set  in  order ;  by 
them  also  most  of  the  baptisms  in  early  times  were  ad- 
ministered, and  very  few  ministers  were  ordained  without 
their  assistance. 

Elder  Peter  P.  Roots,  and  a  great  number  of  others 
might  be  mentioned,  as  having  been  distinguished  for  use- 
fulness, in  the  nevv^  settlements  in  this  western  region,  to 
which  multitudes  have  emigrated  froni  all  the  New-Eng- 
land States.  By  these  emigrants  many  of  the  churches 
have  been  enlarged,  but  they  are  mostly  indebted,  for  their 
prosperity  and  numbers,  to  those  many  and  extensive  re- 
vivals, which  the  gracious  Lord  has  granted  to  this  highly 
favoured  country.  It  is  asserted  by  brethren,  capable  of 
giving  correct  information  on  the  subject,  that  since  1794, 
scarce  a  month  has  passed  without  some  special  outpourings 
of  the  Divine  Spirit,  within  the  bounds  of  these  four  As- 
sociations. 

HOLLAND  PURCHASE  CONFERENCE. 

This  name  was  given  to  a  small  collection  of  churches, 
which  convened  forthepurposeof  beginning  an  Association 
at  a  place  called  Willink,  in  the  county  of  Niagara,  in  1811. 
The  number  at  first  was  seven,  all  of  which  were  small, 
and  amongst  them  VvCre  but  three  ministers.  The  Hol- 
land Purchase  is  an  extensive  tract  of  country,  in  the  wes- 
tern part  of  New- York.  A  Baptist  church  was  formed  in 
it  in  1808,  at  a  place  called  township  No.  10.  This  was 
the  first  church  of  any  denomination  founded  in  this  Pur- 
chase, and  is  the  fruit  of  missionary  labours.  Mr.  RootR 
and  other  missionaries  have  laboured  much  and  with  good 
effect  in  this  remote  region,  in  which  there  is  now  an  en- 
couraging prospect  of  an  extensive  spread  of  the  Redeem- 
er's cause. 

From  these  brief  sketches  we  see  that  Baptist  principles 
and  Baptist  churches  have,  within  a  few  years  past,  spread 


560  Upper  Canada. 

into  e\'eiy  corner,  and  been  established  in  almost  every 
part  of  this  extensive  State.* 

To  the  History  of  this  State  we  shall  subjoin  a  brief  ac- 
count of  the  Baptists  in 

UPPER    CANADA. 

What  few  churches  are  found  in  this  Province  were 
built  up  mostly  by  missionaries  from  New  York,  Vermont, 
and  some  other  States.  An  Association,  called  Thurlow, 
was  formed  in  the  place  from  which  it  took  its  name,  in 
1804,  of  only  three  small  churches,  whose  ministers  were 
Asa  Turner,  Joseph  Winn,  and  Reuben  Crandal.  These 
churches  were  scattered  over  an  extensive  country,  along 
the  Bay  of  Canta,  in  the  districts  of  Midland  and  New- 
Castle.  About  the  time  they  were  organized  into  an  As- 
sociation, they  were  vibited  by  Elders  Joseph  Cornell  and 
Peter  P.  Roots,  by  whose  labours  they  were  much  refresh- 
ed and  encouraged.  The  late  Lemuel  Covel  and  many 
ether  missionaries  have  travelled  in  this  remote  part  of  his 
Britannic  Majesty's  dominions,  whose  labours  have  been 
crowned  u  ith  success,  insomuch  that  the  Thurlow  Asso- 
ciation in  1811,  had  increased  to  eleven  churches,  eight 
or  nine  ministers,  five  only  ordained,  and  about  a  thousand 
members.  What  is  their  state  since  this  Canadian  war 
commenced,  I  have  not  learnt.  Elder  Turner  who  com- 
municated this  information,  is  now  setded  at  Scipio,  New- 
York.  A  few  churches  in  this  Province  belong  to  the 
Shaftsbury  Association.  The  one  at  Niagara,  under  the 
care  of  Elder  Elkanah  Holmes,  has  a  seat  in  the  New- York 
Association, 

•  For  a  pari  of  the  information  respecting^  this  western  region,  the  author 
IS  indebted  to  a  work  published  in  1794,  by  Riders  Hosmer  and  Lawton,  en- 
titled, A  View,  &c.  of  the  Otsego  Association  All  the  late  information  was 
furnished  by  the  same  Elder  Lawton  and  Elder  John  Peck,  who  travelled 
axtensively  and  took  much  pains  to  collect  it. 


History  of  Nenv  -Jersey,  561 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

NEW-JERSEY. 

"SOMETIME  after  the  year  1€08,  tlie  Hollanders 
made  a  settlement  on  the  spot  where  New- York  now 
stands  ;  and  in  1614  obtained  a  patent  from  their  coun- 
tr}men.  In  cont^equence  of  which,  and  a  pretended  pur- 
chase from  Capt,  Hudson,  they  claimed  a  right  to  ail  the 
country  from  the  river  Connecticut  to  the  river  Delaware, 
and,  therefore,  that  part  now  called  Jersey.  But  neither 
patent  nor  purchase  availed  them  ;  for  Charles  II.  put  in 
a  prior  claim,  and  supported  it  with  armed  forces,  which 
the  Hollanders  were  not  able  to  resist ;  nevertheless,  they 
kept  possession  to  the  treaty  of  Breda,  in  1667.  About 
four  years  before  said  treaty,  the  kirg  gave  the  country  to 
his  brother  the  Duke  of  York  ;  and  the  Duke,  the  same 
year,  sold  the  western  part,  Jersey,  to  Lord  Berkeley  and 
Sir  George  Carteret.  Those  two  gentlemen  immediately 
formed  a  constitution,  or  bill  of  rights,  for  such  as  should 
be  settlers  ;  the  sixth  and  seventh  articles  of  which  prom= 
ise  a  "full  liberty  of  conscience  to  all  religious  sects  that 
should  behave  well."  This,  and  tlie  terms  of  obtaining 
laiid,  being  known  abroad,  British  subjects  began  to  re« 
sort  hither  from  New -York,  New -England,  Long  Island, 
&c.  these  settled  in  the  parts  next  to  them,  afterwards 
called  East-Jersey  ;  some  of  whom  were  Baptists.  In  the 
}ear  16'i5,  and  afterwards,  emigrants  arri\ed  in  the  Dela- 
ware Ircm  England,  and  settled  in  the  parts  adjoinii  g  the 
river,  since  distinguished  by  the  nan  e  of  West-Jersey  ; 
some  of  them,  also,  v.  ere  Baptists.  About  1683,  a  com- 
pany oi  Baptists,  from  the  county  of  Tiperary,  in  Irtlaiid, 
arrived  at  Amboy  ;  the}  proceeded  towards  the  interior 
parts.  In  the  iall  ol  17^9,  about  30  families  of  the  Tun- 
ker  Baptists  from  Holland,  but  originally  from  Schwart- 
zeneau  in  Germany,  arrived  at  Philadelphia  ;  some  of 
whom,  in  1733,  crossed  the  ii\er  Delaware,  and  settled  2X 
Aniwell  in  Hunterdon  county.  In  1734,  the  Rogerene 
Baptists  arrived  from  Connecticut,  and  settled  near  Schoo- 
ly  Mountain,  hi  the  county  of  Morris.  I'hus  it  appearS; 
that  aniong  the  first  Jf;rsey  settlers,  some  were  of  the  Bap- 

VOL.    J.  71 


562  Account  of  Middleton  Church, 

tist  denomination.  The  present  Baptists  are,  partly,  the 
offspring  of  those  adventurous  Baptists  ;  and,  partly,  such 
as  have  been  proselyted  to  their  sentiments." 

This  State  has  been  famous  with  the  Baptists,  for  con- 
taining a  number  of  old  and  very  respectable  churches, 
which  have  been  supplied  with  preachers  of  peculiar  emi- 
nence ;  some  emigrated  from  Wales  and  England,  but 
most  of  them  were  born  in  the  country,  and  nurtured  in  the 
churches. 

New-Jersey  has  given  birth  to  a  number  of  very  emi- 
nent ministers,  who  removed  and  spent  their  days  in  other 
parts  ;  among  the  most  distinguished  of  these,  we  may 
reckon  John  Gano,  James  Manning,  and  Hezekiah  Smith. 
Middleton. — "  This  is  the  oldest  church  in  the  State ; 
it  is  thus  distinguished  from  the  village  where  the  meeting 
house  stands,  in  a  township  of  the  same  name,  and  county 
of  Monmouth,  about  79  miles  E.  N.  E.  from  Philadel- 
phia. The  meeting  house  is  42  feet  by  32,  erected  in 
1734,  on  the  lot  where  the  old  place  of  worship  stood. 

"For  the  origin  of  this  church  we  must  look  back  to 
the  year  1667 ;    for  that  was  the  year  when  Middleton, 
containing  a  part  of  Monmouth,  anda  part  of  Sussex  counties, 
was  purchased  from  the  Indians  by  twelve  men  and  twenty- 
four  associates ;  their  names  are  in  the  town  book.    Of  theni 
the  following  were  Baptists,  viz.  Richard  Stout,  John  Stout, 
James  Grover,  Jonathan  Bown,    Obadiah  Holmes,  John 
Buckman,  John  Wilson,  Walter  Hall,  John  Cox,  Jonathan 
Holmes,  George  Mount,  William  Cheeseman,  William 
Layton,   William  Compton,  James  Ashton,  John   Bown, 
Thomas  Whitlock,  and  James  Grover,  jun.     It  is  probable, 
that  some  of  the  above  had  wives  and  children  of  their  own 
way  of  thinking ;  however,  the  forenamed  eighteen  men 
appear  to  have  been  the  constituents  of  the  church  of  Mid- 
dleton, and  the  winter  of  1688,  the  time. 
'     "  How  matters  went  on  among  these  people  for  a  period 
of  24  years,  viz.  from  the  constitution  to  1712,   cannot  be 
known.     But  in  the  year   1711,  a  variance  arose  in  tht 
church,  insomuch  that  one  party  excommunicated  tlie  oth- 
er ;    and    imposed    silence    on   two   gifted   brothers   that 
preached   to   them,   viz.    John   Bray   and   John    Okison. 
Wearied  with  their  situation,  they  agreed  to  refer  matters 
to  a  council,    congregated  from  neighbouring  churches. 


^ohn  Broimi,,.Jai7ies  Ashton...jfohn  Barrows.     563 

The  council  met,  May  25,  1712;  it  consisted  of  Rev. 
Messrs.  Timothy  Brooks,  of  Cohansey  ;  Abel  Morgan 
and  Joseph  Wood,  of  Pennepek  ;  and  Elisha  Thomas,  of 
Welch  Tract,  with  six  Elders,  viz.  Nicholas  Johnson, 
James  James,  Griffith  Miles,  Edward  Church,  William 
Bettridge  and  John  Manners.  Their  advice  was,  "  To 
bury  their  proceedings  in  oblivion,  and  erase  the  records 
of  them  ;"  accordingly  four  leaves  are  torn  out  of  the 
church  book.  "  To  continue  the  silence  imposed  on  John 
Bray  and  John  Okison  the  preceding  year."  One  would 
think  by  this,  that  those  two  brethren  were  the  cause  of 
the  disturbance.  "  To  sign  a  covenant  relative  to  their 
future  conduct  ;"  accordingly  42  did  sign,  and  26  refus- 
ed ;  nevertheless  most  of  the  non- signers  came  in  after.- 
wards  ;  but  the  first  42  were  declared  to  be  the  church 
that  should  be  owned  by  sister  churches.  *'  That  Messrs. 
Abel  Morgan,  sen.  and  John  Barrows  should  supply  the 
pulpit  till  the  next  yearly  meeting  ;  that  the  members 
should  keep  their  places  and  not  wander  to  other  societies  ;" 
for  at  this  time  there  was  a  Presbyterian  congregation  in 
Middleton,  and  mixed  communion  in  vogue. 

"  The  first  who  preached  at  Middleton,  was  Mr.  John 
Bown,  of  whom  we  can  learn  no  more  than  that  he 
was  not  ordained  ;  and  that  it  was  he  who  gave  the  lot 
on  which  the  first  meeting  house  was  built.  Cotempora- 
ry  with  him  was  Mr.  Ashton,  of  whom  more  will  be  said 
soon  ;  and  after  him  rose  the  forementioned  Bray  and 
Okison  ;  neither  of  whom  was  ordained,  and  the  latter 
was  disowned.  Mr.  George  Eaglesfield  was  another  unor- 
dained  preacher  ;  but  the  first  that  may  be  styled  pastor 
of  the  church,  was, 

*•  James  Ashton.  He  probably  was  ordained  by 
Thomas  Killingsworth,  at  the  time  the  church  was  con- 
stituted in  1688  ;  for  Mr.  Killingsworth  assisted  at  the 
constitution,  which  gave  rise  to  the  tradition  "  that  he 
was  the  first  minister."     Mr.  Ashton 's  successor  was 

"  Rev.  John  Barrows.  He  was  born  at  Taunton, 
Somersetshire,  England,  and  there  ordained  :  arrived  at 
Philadelphia  in  the  month  of  November,  1711,  and  from 
thence  came  to  Middleton  in  1713,  where  he  died  in  a 
good  old  age.  Mr.  Barrows  is  said  to  have  been  a  happ3r 
compound  of  gravity  and  facetiousness  ;    the  one  made 


564        Rei).  Abel  Morgan... Ren.  Samuel  Morgan. 

the  people  stand  in  awe  of  him,  while  the  other  produced 
familiarity.  As  he  was  travelling  one  day,  a  young  man 
passed  by  him  in  full  speed  ;  and  in  passing,  Mr.  Bar- 
rows said,  "  if  you  considered  whither  you  are  going, 
you  would  slacken  your  pace."  He  went  on,  but  pres- 
ently turned  back  to  inquire  into  the  meaning  of  that  pass- 
ing salute  ?  Mr.  Barrows  reasoned  with  him  on, the  folly 
aad  danger  of  horse-racing  :  (to  which  the  youth  was 
hastening,)  he  gave  attention  to  the  reproof.  This  en- 
couraged Mr.  Bai  rows  to  proceed  to  more  serious  matters. 
'J'he  issue  was  a  sound  conversion.  Here  was  a  bow 
drawn  at  a  venture  ;  and  a  sinner  shot  flying  ! — - 

Mr.  Barrows  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Abel  Morgan,  a.m. 
He  was  born  in  Welsh  Tract,  April  18,  lYlS  :  had  his 
learniijg  at  an  academy  kept  by  Rev.  Thomas  Evans,  in 
Pencader  ;  ordained  at  Welsh  Tract  in  the  year  1734-; 
became  pastor  of  Middleton  in  1738  ;  died  there  No- 
vember 24,  1785.  He  was  never  married  ;  the  reason, 
it  is  supposed,  was,  that  none  of  his  attention  and  atten- 
dance n^ight  be  taken  off  of  his  mother,  who  lived  ^\ith 
him,  and  whom  he  honoured  to  an  uncommon  degree. 
Mr.  Morgan  was  a  man  of  sound  learning  and  solid  judg- 
ment ;  he  has  given  specimens  of  both  in  his  publick  dis- 
putes and  publications  ;  for  it  appears  that  he  held  two 
publick  disputes  on  the  subject  of  baptism.  The  first  was 
at  Kingwood  ;  to  which  he  was  challenged  by  Re\ .  Sam- 
uel Harker,  a  Presbyterian  minister.  The  other  was 
held  at  Capemay,  in  1743,  \\ith  the  Rev.  afterwards,  Dr. 
Samuel  Finley,  President  of  Princeton  College. 

"  Mr.  Morgan's  successor  was  his  nephew.  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Morgan.  He  was  born  in  Welsh  'JVact,  August  23, 
1750  ;  called  to  the  ministry  in  Virginia  ;  ordained  at 
Middleton,  November  29,  1785  ;  at  which  time  he  took 
on  him  the  care  of  the  church." 

No  account  of  Mr.  Morgan's  death  has  been  obtained. 
This  ancient  church  has  for  its  present  pastor,  Mr.  Benja- 
min Bennet.  It  was  once  well  endowed,  but  a  considera- 
ble part  of  its  temporalities  were  sunk  by  that  sacrilegious 
thing,  (as  Edwards  calls  it)  Congress  Money.  What  are 
its  present  possessions  I  have  not  learnt. 


Account  of  Piscataway  Church,  S6  5 

Pisc  ATAWAY. — "  The  history  of  this  church,  which  is 
the  next  to  Middleton  in  point  of  seniority,  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  present  time,  is  not  easy  of  acquibition. 
The  reason  is,  their  records  were  destroyed  in  the  rev- 
olutionary war.  The  following  historical  sketches  have 
been  gleaned  partly  from  publick  records  ;  partly  from  the 
town  book  ;  partly  from  the  records  of  the  Sabbatarian 
church,  which  sprang  from  this  church  ;  and  partly  from 
current  tradition,  and  the  information  of  ancient  persons. 
The  publick  records  tell  us,  "  That  the  large  tract,  on  the 
cast'  side  of  Rariton  river,  w  hich  comprises  the  towns  of 
Piscataway,  Elizabeth,  &c.  was  purchased  from  the  In- 
dians in  1663.  The  purchasers  were  John  Baily,  Daniel 
Denton,  Luke  Watson,  &c.  These  persons  and  th.cir  as- 
sociates obtained  a  patent  the  following  year,  from  Gov- 
ernor Nicholas,  who  acted  under  the  Duke  of  York  ;  but 
the  Duke  having,  the  same  year,  sold, Jersey  to  Lord 
Berkeley  and  Sir  George  Carteret,  the  validity  of  Nicholas's 
patent  has  been  called  in  question."  However,  the  inhab- 
itants keep  possession  to  this  day.  The  said  tract  does 
not,  by  the  town  records,  appear  to  have  been  settled  at 
once,  but  in  the  follow'ing  successions.  "  In  1677,  the 
Blackshaws,  Drakes,  Hands,  and  Hendricks,  were  ii^hab- 
itants  of  Piscataway  ;  in  1678,  the  Dottys  and  the  Wolfs  ; 
in  1679,  the  Smalleys,  Hulls,  and  Trotters  ;  in  1680,  the 
Hansworths,  Martins,  and  Higgins  ;  in  1681,  the  Dun- 
hams, Laflowers,  and  Fitzrandolphs  ;  in  1682,  the  Sut- 
tons,  Brindleys,  Bounds,  and  Fords  ;  in  1683,  the  Davises 
and  Slaughters  ;  in  1684,  the  Pregmores  ;  in  1685,  the 
Grubs  and  Adams  ;  in  1687,  the  Chandlers  and  Smiths  ; 
in  1689,  the  Mortons,  Molesons  and  M'Daniels  ;  the  Gil- 
mans  were  settlers  in  1663,  which  is  one  year  before  the 
patent."  Were  we  to  judge  of  the  religion  of  these  set- 
tlers by  the  lists  of  members  in  the  two  Baptist  churches  of 
Piscataway,  we  should  conclude  they  were  of  that  denomi- 
nation, for  most  of  the  names  are  to  be  found  in  those  lists. 
Nevertheless,  tradition  will  allow  of  no  more  than  six  to 
have  been  professed  Baptists,  viz.  Hugh  Dunn,  who  was 
an  exhorter  ;  John  Drake,  afterwards  their  pastor  ;  Nich- 
olas Bonham,  John  Smalley,  Edmond  Dunham,  after- 
w^ards  minister  of  the  Seventh-Day  Baptists  ;  and  John 
"Randolph  ;  the  above  persons  were  constituted  a  Gospel 


566  Rco.  John  Drake.,. Benjamin  Stelle. 

church,  in  the  spring  of  1689,  by  the  help  of  Rev,  Thom- 
as Killingsworth,  at  which  time  it  is  probable  Mr.  Drake 
was  ordained  their  pastor.  It  is  not  to  be  doubted,  but 
the  said  men  had  wives,  or  sisters,  or  (iaughters  of  the  same 
way  of  thinking  :  however,  none  but  the  male  members 
are  mentioned,  either  here  or  at  Middleton,  or  Cohansey. 
It  is  a  current  tradition,  that  some  of  the  above  Baptists 
emigrated  hither  from  Piscataqua,  in  the  District  of  Maine, 
and  gave  the  name  to  this  part  of  Jersey.  This  is  a  prob. 
able  supposition,  for  there  were  a  number  of  Baptists  in 
that  place  at  this  time,  and  it  appears,  that  this  part  of  Jer- 
sey was  written  New- Piscataqua  in  their  town  book,  and 
in  the  printed  folio,  which  contains  the  original  Jersey 
papers. 

*'  The  first  who  preached  at  Piscataway,  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  setdement  to  1689,  were  the  following 
unordained  ministers,  viz.  Messrs.  Hugh  Dunn,  John 
Drake,  and  Edmond  Dunham.  About  1689,  Rev. 
Thomas  Killingsworth  visited  them,  and  selded  them  in- 
to a  church,  and  ordained  Mr.  Drake  to  be  their  minis- 
ter;  this  gave  rise  to  the  tradition,  "that  Mr.  KiUings- 
worth  was  the  first  minister  of  Piscataway,  Middletown, 
and  Cohansey."  The  last  is  true  ;  but  the  first  minister 
of  Piscataway  was  Rev.  John  Drake,  who  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers,  and  bore  an  excellent  character  ;  he  laboured 
among  them  from  the  beginning  to  1689,  when  he  was 
ordained  their  pastor,  and  continued  in  the  pastorship  to 
his  death,  in  1739,  which  was  a  period  of  about  50  years. 
Mr.  Drake's  descendants  are  very  numerous,  and  respects 
able  among  the  Baptists  in  this  region  ;  they  claim  kin- 
dred to  the  famous  Sir  Francis  Drake. 

Cotemporary  with  Mr.  Drake,  was  the  unworthy  Henry 
Loveall.  He  was  ordained  in  this  church  to  assist  old 
Mr.  Drake,  but  never  administered  ordinances  ;  for  the 
vileness  of  his  character  was  soon  discovered.  From 
Piscataway  he  went  to  Maryland,  where  see  an  account  of 
him. 

*'  Mr.  Drake's  successor  was  Benjamin  Stelle  who  held 
the  office  of  a  magistrate.  He  was  of  French  original, 
though  born  in  New- York  ;  ordained  in  this  church,  and 
continued  in  the  pastorship  to  the  month  of  January,  in 
1759,   when  he  died  in  th^  76th  year  of  his  age.     He  is 


Mr,  Runyom.Mr,  M^Laughlin..Cohansey  Church.    567 

said  to  have  been  a  popular  preacher,  and  a  very  upright 
magistrate. 

"  He  was  succeeded  by  his  own  son,  Isaac  Stelle,  who 
became  minister  of  Piscataway  in  1752,  as  an  assistant  to 
his  father,  who  was  old  and  infirm,  and  continued  in  the 
ministry  here  to  October  9,  1781,  when  he  died  in  the 
63d  year  of  his  age.  Mr.  Stelle  was  remarkable  for  his 
travels  among  the  American  churches,  in  company  with 
bis  other  self,  Rev.  Benjamin  Miller." 

Rev.  Reune  Runyon,  the  late  pastor  of  this  church,  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Stelle.  He  also  was  of  French  extraction, 
and  son  of  Reune  Runyon,  Esq.  ;  born  March  29,  1741 ; 
called  to  the  ministry  in  this  church,  March,  1771  ;  or- 
dained at  Morristown,  March,  1772,  where  he  continued 
to  April,  1780,  and  then  returned  hither.  He  took  on 
him  the  oversight  of  the  church  in  1783,  and  continued 
therein  with  credit  and  success  till  his  death  in  Nov.  1811. 

Mr.  James  M'Laughlin  succeeded  him,  October,  1812. 
He  preaches  half  of  the  time  at  New-Brunswick,  two  and 
a  half  miles  distant,  where  there  is  a  branch  of  the  church 
and  a  commodious  house  of  worship  lately  built  of  brick, 
60  feet  by  40,  on  a  lot  of  near  an  acre.  The  lot  and  house 
cost  about  6000  dollars. 

The  Piscataway  church  is  the  mother  of  the  Scotch- 
Plains,  Morristown,  and  the  Sabbatarian  church,  in  the 
same  neighbourhood. 

CoHANSEY — "  Cohansey  is  the  name  of  a  river,  which 
meanders  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  from  which  this  church 
takes  its  distinction ;  the  meeting  house  stands  in  the  town- 
ship of  Hopewell,  and  county  of  Cumberland,  47  miles 
south  by  west  from  Philadelphia. 

"  The  rise  and  progress  of  Cohansey  church  cannot  be 
easily  investigated,  because  their  records  have  been  de- 
stroyed ;  nevertheless,  the  following  historical  sketches  will, 
in  part,  supply  the  loss  :  *'  About  the  year  1683*  some 
Baptists  from  the  county  of  Tiperary  in  Ireland  set- 
tled   in   the   neighbourhood   of  Cohansey  ;    particularly 

•  *'  In  Cohansey  grave-yard  is  a  stone  with  this  inscription  upon  it: 
*'  Here  lies  Deborah  Swinney,  who  died  April  4,  1760,  aged  77  years.  She 
was  the  first  white  female  child  born  at  Cohansey."  If  we  take  her  age  out 
of  1760,  it  will  appear  she  was  born  in  1683,  the  time  fixed,  by  Mr.  Kelsay, 
for  the  settling  of  the  place  by /mA  Baptists  j  and  Swinney  was  an  ItUh 
finan." 


568     I?ev.  Timothy  B rooks,.. Thojnas  Killings'Oiorth, 

David  Sheppard,  Thomas  Abbot,  William  Button,  &c. 
In  1685,  arrived  hither  from  Rhode- Island  govern- 
ment, Obadiah  Holmes  and  John  Cornelius  :  In  1688, 
Kinner  Vanhyst,  John  Child  and  Thomas  Lamstonc 
were  buptized  by  the  Rev.  Elias  Keach,  of  Penne- 
pek.  About  this  time  Rev.  Thomas  Killingsworth 
settled  not  far  off,  which  increased  the  number  of  Bap- 
tists to  nine  souls  ;  and  probably  to  near  as  many 
more,  including  the  sisters  ;  however,  the  above  nine  per- 
sons were  formed  into  a  church,  by  the  assistance  of  said 
Killingsworth,  whom  they  chose  to  be  their  minister  ; 
this  was  done  in  the  spring  of  1690.  Soon  after  the  few 
Baptists  who  lived  about  Gloucester,  Salem,  Pennsneck,  &c. 
united  with  them  ;  so  that  the  cords  of  this  Zion  were  at 
first  very  lengthy,  and  continued  so  for  66  years  ;  viz.  till 
distant  members  began  to  form  themselves  into  distinct 
churches,  in  the  several  neighbourhoods."  The  churches 
which  were  thus  formed  were  those  of  Salem,  Dividing 
Creek,  and  Pittsgrove. 

Most  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  America  originated 
from  England  and  Wales  ;  but  Cohansey  from  Ireland. 
The  Baptist  church  whence  it  sprang,  is  still  extant  in 
Tii)erary,  and  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Cloughketin. 

"In  1710,  Rev.  Timothy  Brooks  and  his  company  unit- 
ed with  this  cliurch.  They  had  emigrated  hither  from. 
Swanzey,  in  Massachusetts,  about  the  year  1687  ;  and 
had  kept  a  separate  society  for  23  years,  on  account  of  dif- 
ference in  opinion  relative  to  predestination,  singing  p.^alms, 
laying-on-of- hands,  &.c.  Rev.  Valeiuine  VVightman  of 
Groton,  Connecticut,  formed  the  union,  on  the  terms  of 
bearance  and  forbearance. 

"  In  1711,  they  built  their  first  meeting  house,  which 
was  taken  down  to  erect  the  present  in  its  place  ;  for  from 
the  beginning  till  then,  thev  held  worship  in  private  houses, 
though  a  period  of  about  28  years. 

*'  It  does  not  appear  that  this  people  had  any  stated  preach- 
er, before  the  constitution,  except  Obadiah  Holmes,  the 
son  of  the  famous  Obadiah  Holmes,  who  endured  such 
cruel  scourgings  at  Boston,  in  1651,  for  the  Word  of  God 
and  the  testimony  ol  Jcsns.  He  was  not  ordained.  His 
settling  at  Cohansey  is  placed  under  the  year  1685,  which 
was  four  years  prior  to  the  constitution  j    he  continued  an 


fVilliam  Butcher.,,, Nathaniel  Jenkins,  5^9 

occasional  preacher  while  he  lived,  though  a  Judge  of  the 
Common  Pleas  in  Salem  Court. 

"  The  first  pastor  of  Cohansey  was  Thomas  Killings- 
worth,  Esq.  He  took  the  oversight  of  the  church  at  the 
constitution  in  1690,  and  continued  therein  to  his  death, 
in  the  year  1708.  This  honourable  gentleman,  (for  he  was 
Judge  of  Salem  court)  was  probably  a  native  of  Norwich, 
in  England.  He  must  have  arrived  in  America  in  early 
times  ;  and  must  have  been  an  ordained  minister  before 
he  arrived  ;  for  we  find  him  exercising  the  ministerial 
functions,  at  Middleton  in  1688  ;  at  Piscataway  in  1689  ; 
and  at  Philadelphia  in  1697.  He  had  a  wife,  but  no  issue. 
It  seems  that  the  troubles,  which  came  on  dissenters,  in 
Queen  Ann's  reign,  reached  the  Jersey  ;  for  Mr.  Kil- 
lings worth  put  himself  under  the  protection  of  the  toleration 
act,  at  a  court  held  in  Salem,  December  24,  1706,  and  took 
out  a  licejise  for  a  preaching  place  at  Penn's-Neck,  then 
the  dwelling-house  of  one  Jeremiah  Nickson. 

"  His  successor  was  Rev.  Timothy  Brooks.  It  has 
already  been  observed  that  Mr.  Brooks'  company 
and  the  church  at  Cohansey,  coalesced  into  one  body 
in  the  year  1710.  It  was  at  that  time  that  he  took, 
the  care  of  the  Cohansey  church  ;  he  continued  in  the  care 
thereof  to  1716,  when  he  died  in  the  55th  year  of  his  age, 
and  had  upwards  of  80  of  his  own  offspring  to  follow  him 
to  his  grave.  Though  Mr.  Brooks  was  not  eminent  for 
cither  parts  or  learning,  yet  was  a  very  useful  preacher, 
meek  in  his  carriage,  and  of  a  sweet  and  loving  temper, 
and  always  open  to  conviction,  which  gained  him  univer- 
sal esteem,  and  made  the  Welch  ministers  labour  to  in- 
struct him  in  the  ways  ui  the  Lord  more  perfectly. 

"  Mr.  Brooks  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  William  Batcher. 
He  became  the  minister  of  this  ch arch  in  1721,  and  con- 
tinued therein  to  December  12,  1724,  when  he  died  in  the 
27th  year  of  his  age.  Mr.  Butcher  was  a  very  popular 
preacher,  and,  withal,  very  tall  and  of  a  majestic  appear- 
ance, which  procured  him  the  name  of  the  High  Priest, 

*'  Rev.  Nathaniel  Jenkins  took  the  oversight  of  this 
church,  at  an  advanced  age,  in  1730 ;  and  continued  there- 
in to  his  death,  January  2,  1754. 

"  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Robert  Kelsey,  who  was 
a  native  of  Ireland,  born  near  Drummorc  in  1711  j  arrived 

VOL.  I.  72 


570        Mr.  Henry  SmaVey.„Gape- May  Church. 

in  Maryland  in  1734  ;  came  to  Cohansey,  in  17S8  ;  em- 
braced the  sentiments  of  the  Baptists  in  1741 ;  was  or- 
dained in  1750,  and  became  pastor  of  this  church  in  1756, 
in  which  office  he  continued  to  his  death,  which  came  to 
pass,  May  30,  1789.  The  pubhck  print  which  announced 
his  death,  adds,  "  as  a  man  and  companion,  he  was  amus- 
ing and  instructive  ;  as  a  christian,  he  was  animated  and 
exemplary  ;  as  a  preacher,  fervent  and  truly  orthodox  ; 
warmly  engaged  was  he  in  the  service  of  th  sanctuary,  to 
ivhich  he  repaired  without  interruption,  till  a  few  Lord's 
days  previous  to  his  decease." 

The  present  pastor  of  this  church  is  Mr.  Henry  Smalley, 
who  was  sent  into  the  ministry  by  the  church  in  Piscataway, 
and  ordained  here  September,  1790. 

This  church  was  well  endowed  in  early  times,  but  what 
their  present  income  is,  I  have  not  ascertained. 

Cape-May. — The  foundation  for  this  church  was  laid 
in  the  year  1675,  when  a  company  of  emigrants  from  Eng- 
land arrived  in  the  Delaware,  some  of  whom  settled  at  the 
Cape.      Among  these  were  two  Baptists,   whose  names 
were  George  Taylor  and  Philip  Hill.    Taylor  kept  a  meet- 
ing at  his  house  till  his  death  in  1701.     Mr.  Hill  kept  up 
the  meeting  till  1704,  when  he  also  died.     After  this  the 
few  brethren,  who  had  been  collected  here,  were  visited  by 
George  Eaglesfield,  Elias  Keach,  Thomas  Griffiths,  and 
Nathaniel  Jenkins,  the  last  of  whom  became  the  pastor  of 
the  church,  which  was  constituted  in  1712.     Mr.  Jenkins 
was  a  Welchman,   born  in  Caerdicanshire,    1678,  arrived 
in  America  in  1710,  and  two  years  after  settled  at  the  Cape. 
*' He  was  a  man  of  good  parts  and  tolerable  education; 
and  quitted  himself  with  honour  in  the  loan  office,  whereof 
he  was  a  trustee,  and,  also,  in  the  Assembly,  particularly 
in  1721,  when  a  bill  was  brought  in   *'  to  punish  such  as 
denied  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  the  Divinity  of  Christ, 
the  Inspiration  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  &c."     In  opposition 
to  \vhich,  Mr.  Jenkins  stood  up,  and  with  the  warmth  and 
accent  of  a  Welshman,  said,  "  I  believe  the  doctrines  in 
question,  as  firmly  as  the  promoters  of  that   ill-designed 
bill  ;    but  will  never  consent  to  oppose  the  opposers  with 
law,  or  withany  other  weapon,  save  that  of  argument,  &c." 
Accordingly,  the  bill  was  suppressed,  to  the  great  mortifi- 


Hopewell  Church,  571 

cation  of  them,  who  wanted  to  raise,  in  New-Jersey,  the 
spirit  which  so  raged  in  New-England." 

1  he  ministers,  who  have  had  the  care  of  the  church  at 
the  Cape,  iVom  this  period,  were  Samuel  Heaton,  John 
Sutton,  Peter  P.  Vanhorn,  David  Smith,  Artis  Seagrave, 
John  StancliiF,  Jonathan  Gcrnian  and  Jenkin  David  ;  most 
of  whom,  except  the  last,  appear  to  have  been  sojourners 
rather  than  stationed  pastors. 

Hopewell. — "  This  church  is  distinguished,  as  above, 
from  the  township  where  the  meeting  house  stai.ds,  in 
Hunterdon  county,  bearing  N.  E.  from  Philadelphia,  at 
the  distance  of  40  miles  ;  the  dimensions  of  the  house  are 
40  feet  by  30  ;  built,  in  1747,  on  a  lot  of  three  quarters 
of  an  acre,  the  gift  of  John  Hart,  Esq. 

"■  One  of  the  three  families,  who  first  settled  in  the  tract, 
DOW  called  Hopewell,  was  that  of  Jonathan  Stout,  who 
arrived  here  from  Middleton,  about  1706.  The  place 
then  was  a  wilderness  and  full  of  Indians.  Mr.  Stout's 
wife  was  Ann  Bullen,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children,  viz. 
Joseph,  Benjamin,  Zebulon,  Jonathan,  David,  Samuel, 
Sarah,  Hannah,  and  Ann.  Six  of  these  children  are  said 
to  have  gone  to  Pennsylvania  for  baptism.  Thus  it  ap- 
pears, that  Mr.  Stout's  family,  including  the  father  and 
mother,  furnished  eight  members  for  the  church.  Seven 
other  members  are  supposed  to  have  been  Thomas  Curtis, 
Benjamin  Drake,  Ruth  Stout,  Alice  Curtis,  Sarah  Fitzran- 
dolph,  Rachel  Hide,  and  Mary  Drake  ;  and  these  fifteen 
persons  on  the  23d  of  April,  1715,  were  organized  into  a 
church  by  the  assistance  of  Abel  Morgan  and  John  Bur- 
rows, with  their  Elders  Griffith  Miles,  Joseph  Todd,  and 
Samuel  Ogden,  and  the  same  year  they  joined  the  Phila- 
delphia Association. 

"  This  church  is  remarkable  for  the  number  of  minis- 
ters, who  have  been  raised  up  in  it.  Thomas  Curtis,  John 
Alderson,  John  Gano,  Joseph  Powel,  Hezekiah  Smith, 
John  Blackwell,  Charles  Thompson,  and  James  Ewing, 
were  all  licensed  or  ordained  at  Hopewell. 

"It  is  natural  to  think,  that  the  first  preaching  of  Believ- 
er's Baptism,  at  Hopewell,  was  owing  to  Jonathan  Stout's 
settling  in  the  parts  ;  and  it  is  inferred  from  the  church 
records,  that  from  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Stout,  to  the  con- 
stitution of  thg  church,  which  was  a  period  of  nine  yearSj 


572  Account  of  Isaac  Eaton ^  A.  M. 

that  Messrs.  Simmons,  Eaglesfield,  &c.  from  Middleton, 
were  the  men  who  preached  here  ;  neither  of  whom  was 
ordained.  Mr.  Simmons  afterwards  went  to  Charleston, 
South-Carolina.  From  the  constitution  of  the  church  to 
the  coming  of  the  Rev.  Isaac  Eaton,  was  another  period 
of  33  years  ;  during  15  of  which,  Joseph  Eaton  of  Mont- 
gomery attended  the  place  regularly  once  a  month.  Af- 
•ter  his  desisting  his  visits,  Thomas  Davis,  of  the  Great 
Valley,  came  to  Hopewell,  and  preached  statedly  to  the 
people  for  about  four  years,  and  then  resigned  to  go  to 
Oysterbay,  on  Long-Island.  Mr.  Davis  was  brother  to 
Rev.  John  Davis  of  said  Valley  ;  he  was  born  in  the  parish 
of  L'lanfernach,  and  county  of  Pembroke,  Wales,  in  1707  ; 
he  arrived  in  America,  July  27,  1713  ;  was  ordained  at 
Great  Valley,  and  died  at  Yellow  Springs,  February  15, 
1777,  in  the  70th  year  of  his  age.  From  his  departure, 
the  place  was  supplied  for  two  years,  by  Messrs.  Carman, 
Bonham,  and  Miller  ;  and  glorious  years  they  were — 55 
souls  were  converted  and  added  to  the  church  ;  a  meet- 
ing house  was  built,  &c. 

"The  first  minister  who  can  be  said  to  have  been  the 
settled  pastor  of  this  church,  (for  those  before  mei.tion- 
ed  were  but  transiently  among  them)  was  Isaac  Eaton, 
A.  M.  He  was  son  of  Joseph  Eaton  of  Montgomery, 
joined  Southampton  church,  and  commenced  preaching 
in  early  life.  Mr.  Eaton  came  to  Hopewell  in  the  month 
of  April,  1748,  and  on  the  29th  of  November  following, 
was  ordained  pastor  of  the  church  by  Messrs.  Carman, 
Curtis,  Miller,  and  Pots.  He  continued  in  the  pastor- 
ship to  July  4,  1772,  when  he  died  in  the  47th  year  of 
his  age  ;  he  was  buried  in  the  meeting  house  ;  and  at  the 
head  of  his  grave,  close  to  the  base  of  the  pulpit,  is  set  up, 
by  his  congregation,  a  piece  of  fine  marble,  with  this  in- 
scription upon  it  : 

**  In  him,  with  grace  and  eminence  did  shine. 
The  man,  the  christian,  scholar,  and  divine." 

His  funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  Samuel  Jones, 
D.  D.  of  Pennepek  ;  who  thus  briefly  portrayed  his  char- 
acter. "  The  natural  endowments  of  his  mind  ;  the  im- 
provement of  these  by  the  accomplishments  of  literature  ; 
bis  early  and  genuine  piety  ;  his  abilities  as  a  divine  and  a 


JBenjafnin  Coles. . .  Oliver  Hart. . .  History  of  the  Stouts.  573 

preacher  ;  his  extensive  knowledi^e  of  men  and  books  ; 
his  Catholicism,  &c.  would  afford  ample  scope  to  flourish 
in  a  funeral  oration,  but  it  is  needless."  Mr.  Eaton  was 
the  first  man  among  the  American  Baptists,  who  set  up  a 
school  for  the  education  of  youths  for  the  ministry,  which 
will  be  mentioned  in  its  proper  place." 

About  two  years  after  Mr.  Eaton's  death.  Rev.  Benja-  , 
min  Coles  was  elected  to  the  pastoral  office  here,  (October 
15,  1774)  without  one  dissenting  voice  ;  and  contir.ued 
with  them  to  the  spring  of  1779.  This  church  had  en- 
joyed two  very  distinguished  revivals  of  religion  before  one 
in  1747,  when  55  were  added  ;  and  another  in  1764,  when 
123  were  added  ;  and  soon  after  Mr.  Coles  became  their 
pastor,  there  was  a  third,  which  added  to  their  number,  in 
about  two  years,  105  souls.  But  notwithstanding  this  suc- 
cess, Mr.  Coles,  in  about  seven  years,  found  himself  so 
uncomfortable  among  this  people,  that  by  the  advice  of  his 
friends,  he  resigned  his  charge  and  settled  at  Scotch  Plains 
about  two  years,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  place  at 
Oyster  Bay. 

Successor  to  him  was  Oliver  Hart,  A.  M.  who  had  fled 
hither  from  Charleston,  South-Carolina,  on  account  of  the 
war.  He  took  the  oversight  of  this  people,  December, 
1780,  and  continued  with  them  till  his  death  in  1795.  A 
further  account  of  this  eminent  minister  will  be  given  in  his 
biography. 

After  him  was  Mr.  James  Ewing  about  nine  years,  and 
next  to  him  was  their  present  pastor,  Mr.  John  Boggs, 
son  of  a  minister  of  the  same  name,  formerly  of  Welsh 
Tract. 

This  church  has  a  farm  with  buildings  for  the  accom- 
modation of  their  pastor,  valued  at  about  6000  dollars. 
From  it  originated  the  Second  in  Hopewell,  and  the  one 
called  Am  well. 

HISTORY    OF    THE    STOUTS. 

♦'  THE  family  of  the  Stouts  are  so  remarkable  for  their  number, 
origin,  and  character,  in  both  church  and  state,  that  their  history  de- 
serves to  be  conspicuously  recorded  ;  and  no  place  can  be  so  proper 
as  that  of  Hopewell,  where  the  bulk  of  the  family  resides.  We  have 
already  seen  that  Jonathan  Stout  and  family  were  the  seed  of  the 
Hopewell  church,  and  the  beginning  of  Hopewell  settlement  ;  and 
that  of  the  15  which  constituted  the  church,  nine  were  Stouts.     The 


574         History  of  the    Stouts. ..Kingwood  Church. 

ehurch  was  constituted  at  the  house  of  a  Stout,  and  the  meetings 
were  held  chiefly  at  the  dwellings  of  the  Stouts  for  41  years,  viz.  from 
the  beginning-  of  the  settlement  to  ihe  building  of  the  meeting-house, 
before  describeH.  Mr.  Hart  was  of  opinion  (in  1790,)  "  that  from 
first  to  last,  half  the  members  have  been  and  were  of  that  name  ;  for, 
ki  looking  over  the  church  book,  (saith  he)  I  tind  that  near  two  hun- 
dred of  the  name  have  been  added  ;  besides  about  as  many  more  of 
the  blood  of  the  Stouts,  who  had  lost  the  name  by  marriaijes.  The 
present  (l7i)0)  two  deacons  and  four  elders,  are  Stouts;  the  late 
Zeiiulon  and  David  Stout  were  two  of  its  main  pillars  ;  the  last  liv- 
ed to  see  his  offspring  multiplied  into  an  hundred  and  seventeen 
souls."  The  origin  of  this  Baptist  family  is  no  less  remarkable; 
for  they  all  sprang  from  one  woman,  and  she  as  good  as  dead  ;  her 
history  is  in  the  mouths  of  most  of  her  posterity,  and  is  told  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Sl)e  was  born  at  Amsterdam,  about  the  year  l602  ;  her 
father's  name  was  Vanprincis  ;  she  and  her  tirst  husband,  (whose 
name  is  not  known)  sailed  for  New-York,  (then  New-Amsteidam) 
about  the  year  l620  ;  the  vessel  was  strandfd  at  Sandy-Hook  ;  the 
crew  got  ashore,  and  marched  towards  tht-  said  New-York  ;  but 
Penelope's  (for  that  was  her  name)  husband  being  hurt  in  the  wreck, 
«ould  not  march  with  them  ;  therefore,  he  and  the.  wife  tarried  in  the 
woods  ;  they  had  not  been  long  in  the  place,  before  the. Indians  kill- 
ed them  both,  (as  they  thought)  and  stripped  them  to  the  skin  ; 
however,  Penelope  came  to,  though  her  skull  was  fractured,  and  her 
left  shoulder  so  hacked,  that  she  could  never  use  tiiat  arm  like  the 
other  ;  she  was  also  cut  across  the  abdomen,  so  that  her  bowels  ap- 
peared ;  these  she  kept  in  with  her  hand  ;  she  continued  in  this  sit- 
uation for  seven  days,  taking  shelter  in  a  hollow  tree,  and  eating  the 
excresence  of  it  :  the  seventh  day  she  saw  a  deer  passing  by  with 
arrows  sticking  in  it,  and  soon  after  two  Indians  appeared,  whom  she 
was  glad  to  see,  in  hope  they  would  put  her  out  of  her  misery  ;  ac- 
cordingly, one  made  towards  her  to  knock  her  on  the  head  ;  but  the 
other,  who  was  an  elderly  man,  prevented  him  ;  and  throwing  bis 
matchcoat  about  her,  carried  her  to  his  wigwam,  and  cured  her  of 
her  wounds  and  bruises  ;  after  that  he  took  her  to  New-York,  and 
made  a  present  of  her  to  her  countrymen,  viz.  an  Indian  present,  ex- 
pecting ten  times  the  value  in  return.. — It  was  in  New-York,  that 
one  Richard  Stout  married  her  :  he  was  a  native  of  England,  and  of 
a  good  family  ;  she  was  now  in  her  22d  year,  and  he  in  his  40th. 
She  bore  him  seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  viz.  Jonathan,  (found- 
er of  Hopewell)  John,  Richard,  James,  Peter,  David,  Benjamin, 
Mary,  Sarah,  and  Alice  ;  the  daughters  married  into  the  families  of 
the  Bounds,  Pikes,  Throckmortons,  and  Skeltons,  and  so  lost  the 
name  of  Stout  ;  the  sons  married  into  the  families  of  Bnllen,  Craw- 
ford, Ashton,  Traux,  &c.  and  had  many  children.  The  mother 
lived  to  the  age  of  110,  and  saw  her  offspring  multiplied  into  502  ii> 
about  88  years." 

King  WOOD. — This  cluircb  is  the  next  in  point  of  as^e. 
It  was  constituted  in  1742,  but  I  conclude  ha-,  now  either 
changed  its  name  or  become  extinct.     From  it  originated 


Hightstown  and  Scotch-Plains  Churches,         57 S- 

the  following  ministers,  viz.  William  Lock,  Eikanah 
Holmes,  now  at  Niagara,  Upper  Canada,  Thomas  Run- 
yon,  William  Tims,  James  Drake,  and  David  Stout. 

HiGHTSTowN. — This  church  was  formerly  called 
Cranbur}',  because  the  first  meeting-house  stood  in  that 
township.  Their  present  house  of  worship,  built  in  1785, 
40  feet  by  30,  stands  in  a  village  from  which  the  church 
takes  its  name,  in  the  township  of  Windsor,  and  county  of 
Middlesex,  about  46  miles  northeast  of  Philadelphia.  The 
church  was  constituted  in  1745  of  17  members.  The 
first  pastor  was  James  Carman,  who  was  almost  as  re- 
markable as  Samuel  Huntington  for  living  by  faith.  He 
was  bom  at  Cape  May  in  1677,  was  baptized  at  Stateti 
Island,  near  New-York,  by  Elias  Keach,  in  the  15th  year 
of  his  age,  after  this  went  first  among  the  Quakers,  then 
with  the  New-Light  Presbyterians,  whom  he  permitted  to 
baptize  one  of  his  children.  But  in  process  of  time,  he 
came  back  to  his  first  principles,  united  with  the  church  in 
Middleton,  began  to  preach  in  the  branch  of  it  at  Cranbury, 
and  was  ordained  its  pastor  at  the  time  it  was  constituted. 
Here  he  died  at  the  age  of  79. 

For  many  years  after  his  death  this  church  had  only 
occasional  supplies,  and  had  nearly  become  extinct,  when 
Mr.  Peter  Wilson,  their  present  pastor,  came  amongst  them 
in  1782.  In  nine  years  from  his  settlement,  over  200  per- 
sons were  added  to  the  church  by  baptism  ;  upwards  of 
800  have  been  baptized  by  this  successful  pastor,  during 
the  whole  of  his  ministry  here.  The  church  is  scattered 
over  a  wide  extent  of  territory,  and  Mr.  W  ilson  in  his 
more  active  days,  not  unfrequently  rode  15,  sometimes  20 
miles,  and  preached  four  times  on  a  Lord's  Day. 

From  this  church  originated  the  one  at  Trenton,  now 
under  the  care  of  Mr.  William  Boswell.  The  church  in 
Nottingham  is  also  a  branch  of  this  body,  and  from  it  a 
great  many  other  churches  besides  have  received  many 
of  their  members. 

Scotch  Plains. — This  is  a  branch  of  the  ancient  church 
■at  Piscataway  ;  it  was  constituted  with  fifteen  members 
from  that  body  in  1747  ;  their  meeting-house  stands  on 
the  north  border  of  the  large  and  fertile  tract  of  land, 
from  which  the  church  is  named,  in  the  township  of  Eliz- 
abeth,  and  county  of  Essex,  between  twenty  and  thirty 


576  Benjamin  Miller, „lV]lliam  Fanhorn. 

miles  from  the  city  of  New- York.     This  house  is  50  feet 
by  30,  built  before,  but  enlarged  to  this  size  in  1759. 

From  ihi.^  church  have  originated  the  First  in  New- York, 
Lyon's  Farms,  Mount  Bethel  and  Samptown. 

The  first  pastor  at  Scotch  Plains  was  Mr.  Benjamin 
Miller,  a  native  of  the  place.  He  was  ordained  in  1748, 
and  continued  in  office  here  till  1781,  when  he  died  in  the 
66th  year  of  his  age.  *'All  that  can  be  said  of  a  good, 
laborious  and  successful  minister  will  apply  to  him.  His 
frequent  companion  in  travels  was  Rev.  Isaac  Stelle  ;  love- 
ly and  pleasant  were  they  in  their  life,  and  in  death 
they  were  not  much  divided,  the  one  having  survived  the 
other  but  35  days.  He  also  travelled  much  with  Mr.  Pe- 
ter P.  Vanhorn  and  John  Gano.  Mr.  Miller  is  said  to 
have  been  a  wild  youth  ;  but  met  with  a  sudden  and  sur- 
prising change  under  a  sermon  of  Rev.  Gilbert  Tcnnent, 
a  Presbyterian  minister.  Mr.  Tennent,  it  is  said,  chris- 
tened him,  and  encouraged  him  to  study  the  languages,  to 
qualify  him  for  the  ministry.  However  that  may  be,  Mr. 
Miller  did  spend  some  time  at  learning,  under  the  tuition 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Biraiu.  It  was  there  he  embraced  the  senti- 
ments of  the  Baptists,  owing  to  the  discourse  of  Mr.  Bi- 
ram  at  the  chri>,tening  of  a  child,  and  a  conversation  that 
followed  between  him  and  his  pupil." 

Mr.  Miller's  funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  his  affec- 
tionate friend  John  Gano.  Between  these  two  ministers, 
there  had  long  been  a  private  agreement,  that  the  funeral 
sermon  of  the  first  who  died  should  be  preached  by  the 
survivor,  provided  he  had  word  of  the  death  ;  and  Prov- 
idence so  ordered  matters  that  this  promise  was  fulfilled. 
Mr.  Gano  was  now  a  chaplain  in  the  x^merican  army,  and 
soon  after  Lord  Cornwaliis'  surrender  he  was  going  to  vis- 
it his  family,  when  he  heard  of  Mr.  Miller's  death. 
"Never,  (said  Mr.  Gano)  did  I  esteem  a  ministering 
brother  so  much  as  I  did  Mr.  Miller,  nor  feel  so  sensibly 
a  like  bereavement,  as  that  which  I  sustained  by  his  death." 

The  next  pastor  of  this  chur:h  was  William  Vanhorn, 
A.  M.  He  ^\as  a  son  of  the  evangelical  Peter  P.  Van- 
horn ;  uas  born  in  1746,  and  ordained  at  Southampton, 
in  Pennsylvania,  >%here  he  continued  13  yea^s  ;  and  in 
1785,  settled  at  the  Scotch  Plains,  \vh(.-re  he  continued  un- 
til  1807,  when  he  resigned  his  pastoral  care  here,  and  se^ 


Mr.  Fanhorn... James  Manning,  D.  D,  577 

out  with  his  family,  on  a  journey  into  the  State  of  Ohio, 
with  a  view  of  settling  on  a  plantation,  which  he  had  pur- 
chased in  that  country,  near  the  town  of  Lebanon,  between 
the  Miami  rivers.  Previous  to  the  commencement  of  his 
journey,  Mr.  Vanhorn  had  been  languishing  for  some  time 
under  a  dropsical  complaint,  which,  on  his  reaching  Pitts- 
burg, confined  him  to  his  bed  ;  a  mortification  of  the  parts 
ensued,  and  he  died  on  the  31st  of  October,  1807,  in  the 
61st  year  of  his  age.  This  mournful  event  was  peculiarly 
distressing,  in  a  strange  place,  to  his  widow  and  only  son, 
and  six  daughters,  who  were  witnesses  of  his  afflictions  and 
exit.  The  attentions  paid  them  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
town  were  generally  kind  and  sympathetic.  The  fam- 
ily, after  a  few  days,  pursued  their  journey  and  safely 
arrived  at  the  place  of  destination,  where  they  are  now 
agreeably  settled. 

Mr.  Vanhorn  received  his  education  at  Dr.  Samuel 
Jones's  Academy  at  Pennepck,  and  afterwards  received 
the  honorary  degree  of  Master  of  i\rts,  from  the  Rhode- 
Island  College.  During  the  revolutionary  war  he  v\as 
chaplain  to  one  of  the  brigades  of  the  State  of  Massachu- 
setts. He  was  also  a  member  for  Buck's  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, of  the  convention  which  met  in  Philadelphia  for 
the  purpose  of  framing  the  first  civil  constitution  of  the 
State. 

Successor  to  Mr.  Vanhorn  was  Mr.  Thomas  Brown,  a 
native  of  Newark,  not  far  distant. 

This  church  has  a  commodious  parsonage  house,  with 
a  small  estate  adjoining.  It  has  lately  received  a  legacy 
from  the  late  James  Brown,  one  of  its  deacons,  of  about 
1400  dollars.  From  this  body  originated  James  Man- 
ning, D.  D.  the  first  President  of  Brown  University. 

At  Newark,  nine  miles  from  the  city  of  New- York,  a 
church  was  formed  in  1801,  mostly  of  members  from  Lyon's 
Farms.  They  have  a  new  house  of  worship  68  feet  by  48. 
They  have  had  to  preach  for  them  Messrs.  Charles  Lahatt, 
Peter  Thurston,  Daniel  Sharp,  and  John  Lamb,  but  are  at 
present  destitute,  unless  Dr.  Rogers  of  Philadelphia  has  ac- 
cepted their  invitation  to  become  their  pastor,  which  has 
been  some  expected. 

VOL.  I.  73 


578      Infant  Baptism  condemned  in  a  Court  of  Lmv. 

In  the  northern  part  of  this  State  are  a  number  of  oth" 
er  churches,  whose  dates,  pastors,  &c.  will  be  exhibited  in 
the  General  Table. 

At  a  place  called  Dividing  Creek,  fifty  six  miles  south- 
west of  Philadelphia,  a  church  arose  in  1761,  under  the 
ministry  of  Mr.  Samuel  Heaton,  whose  history  furnishes 
some  interesting  anecdotes,  and  is  as  follows  :  "  He  was 
born  at  Wrcntham,  Massachusetts,  and  was  bred  a  Pedo- 
baptist,  he  came  to  Jersey  with  three  brothers  about  the 
year  1734,  and  settled  near  Black  Ris'er,  in  the  county  of 
Morris,  and  there  set  up  iron  works  ;  while  there  he  had 
a  son  born,  whom  he  was  anxious  to  have  "  christened" 
by  Rev.  Samuel  Sweesy,  a  Presbyterian  minister  of  the 
Separate  order  ;  to  which  "  christening"  the  wife  stood 
averse,  adding,  if  you  ivill  shew  me  atext"^  that  warrants 
christening  a  child^  I  will  take  hiin  to  Mr.  Sweesy.  The 
husband  offered  several  texts  ;  the  wife  would  not  allow 
that  infant  baptism  was  in  either  of  them  ;  then  the  hus- 
band went  to  Mr.  Sueesy,  not  doubting  but  a  thing  so  old 
and  so  common  as  infant  baptism,  must  be  in  the  Bible  ; 
Mr.  Sweesy  owned  there  was  no  text  which  directly  prov- 
ed the  point  ;  but  that  it  was  provable  by  deductions  from 
many  texts  ;  this  chagrined  Mr.  Heaton,  as  he  had  never 
doubted  but  that  infant  baptism  was  a  gospel  ordinance  ; 
he  went  home  with  a  resolution  to  act  the  part  of  the  more 
noble  Bereans,  and  soon  met  with  convictions  ;  after  that 
he  went  to  Kingwood  and  was  baptized  by  Mr.  Bonham  ; 
and  so  satisfied  was  he  with  what  he  had  done,  that  he  be- 
gan to  preach  up  the  baptism  of  repentance  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Schooly  ;  he  laboured  not  in  vain  ;  for  some  of 
his  proselytes  went  to  Kingwood  to  receive  believer's  bap- 
tism. This  was  the  beginning  of  the  Baptist  church  at 
Schooly.  In  1751,  Mr.  Heaton  was  ordained,  and  then 
>vent  the  next  year   to  Millcreek  in    Virginia,    where   he 

•  "  This  transaction  coming-  to  the  knowledge  of  Robert  Calver,  a  Rogerene 
Baptist,  induced  him  to  pubhsh  an  advertisement  in  the  newspaper,  ottering 
iv:cntj/  dollars  reward  to  any  that  would  produce  a  text  to  prove  infant  bap- 
tism. Rev.  Samuel  Harker  took  him  up,  and  carried  a  text  to  the  advertis- 
er ;  Calver  would  not  allow  that  infant  baptism  was  in  it  ;  Harker  sued  hi.ii  ; 
it  seems  the  court  were  of  Mr.  Calver's  mind,  for  Harker  was  cast  and  had 
court  charg-es  to  pay  After  that,  Calver  published  another  advertisement, 
ofTering'  a  reward  of  forty  dollars  for  such  a  text  ;  but  none  took  him  up,  as 
Mr.  Hurker's  attempts  failed." 

Infant  baptism  has  been  ten  thousand  times  condemned  by  argument,  but 
this  is  probably  the  first  time  it  was  ever  condemned  in  a  court  of  law. 


Salem. ..Nenu- Jersey  Association.  579 

continued  a  short  time  ;  and  from  thence  to  Konoloway, 
in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  founded  another  church ;  being 
driven  from  thence  by  the  Indians,  he  setiled  next  year 
at  Capemay  ;  from  thence  he  came  to  Di\'iding  Creek  to 
settle  a  third  church  ;  in  the  care  of  which  he  died  in 
the  66th  year  of  his  age,  September  26,  1777." 

In  Salem,  o&  miles  south-uest  of  Philadelphia,  a  church 
was  constituted  of  members  from  Cohansey  in  1755.  But 
Baptists,  particularly  the  Killingsworths  and  Holmeses, 
had  settled  in  the  place  before  the  year  17U0. 

The  first  pastor  here  was  Job  Sliephard,  a  descendant  of 
David  Shephard  from  Ireland.  His  ministry  was  short, 
but  respectable.  Since  him  they  have  had,  in  succession, 
John  Sutton,  now  in  Kentucky,  if  alive,  Abel  Griffiths, 
Peter  P.  Vanhorn,  and  Isaac  Skillman,  D.  D.  It  is  now 
under  the  care  of  a  young  man,  by  the  name  of  Joseph 
Shephard,  who  was  educated  in  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Most  of  the  foregoing  sketches  are  taken  from  Morgan 
Edwards'  Materials,  &:c.  for  this  State,  published  in  1792, 
at  which  time  the  number  of  churches  was  twenty-three  ; 
since  then  they  have  increased  to  over  thirty.  Of  the  tem- 
poralities of  a  number  of  churches,  formerly  in  possession 
of  good  estates,  no  information  has  been  obtained,  and  of 
course  none  can  be  given. 

NEW-JERSEY    ASSOCIATION. 

For  about  a  hundred  years,  most  of  the  churches  in 
this  State  belonged  to  the  Philadelphia  Association.  Since 
the  one  at  New-York  was  formed,  the  churches  near  the 
city  have  associated  with  that  body.  In  1811,  a  number 
of  the  Philadelphia  churches  were  dismissed,  and  the  same 
year  were  organized  into  a  body  by  the  name  abovemen- 
tioned.  Nothing  yet  has  occurred  to  furnish  materials  for 
an  historical  narrative.  It  \\as  formed  in  perfect  agree- 
ment with  the  mother  body,  from  motives  of  convenience. 


580  History  of  Penmyhania. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


PENNSYLVANIA. 

MOST  of  the  Baptists  in  this  State,  except  the  Tunkers 
and  Mennonists,  for  a  great  number  of  years  from  their 
beginning,  were  either  emigrants  from  Wales  or  their  de- 
sctMidants  ;  but  the  first  church  of  the  denomination  in  the 
country  was  formed  at  a  place  called  the  Coldspring,  in 
Buck's  county,  between  Bristol  and  Trenton,  by  Thomas 
Dungan,*  \\  ho  removed  thither  from  Rhode-Island  in  1684, 
only  three  years  after  William  Penn  obtained  his  patent  of 
Charles  II. 

Peniiepek,  or  Loiver- Dublin  Church. — This  is  now  the 
oldest  church  in  Penubyb'ania,  as  the  one  gathered  by  Mr. 
Dungan  was  broken  up  in  1702. 

"  The  history  of  this  church  will  lead  us  back  to  the 
year  1686,  when  one  John  Eaton,  George  Eaton,  and  Jane 
his  wife,  Sarah  Eaton,  and  Samuel  Jones,  members  of  a 
Baptist  church  residing  in  Llanddewi  and  Nautmel,  in 
Radnorshire,  whereof  Rev.  Henry  Gregory  was  pastor  ; 
also,  John  Baker,  meniber  of  a  church  in  Kilkenny,  in  Ire- 
land, under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  Christopher  Biackwell, 
and  one  Samuel  Vans,  from  England,  arrived  and  settled 
on  the  banks  of  Pennepek,  formerly  written  Pemmapeka. 
In  the  year  1687,  Rev.  Elias  Keach,  of  London,  came 
among  them,  and  baptized  one  Joseph  Ashton  and  Jane 

*  Respecting'  Mi".  Dungan,  Morgan  Edwards  has  the  following  note  in  his 
history  of  the  Baptists  in  Pennsylvania:  "Of  this  venerable  tather,  lean 
learn  no  more  tlian  that  he  came  from  Rhode-Island  about  the  year  1684  ; 
that  he  and  his  family  settled  at  Coldspring,  where  he  gathered  a  church,  of 
which  nothing  remains  but  a  grave-yard  and  the  names  of  the  families  which 
belonged  to  it,  viz  the  Dungaiis,  Gardners,  Woods,  Doyles,  &c.  that  he  died 
in  1688,  and  was  buried  in  said  grave-yard  ;  that  his  children  were  five  sons 
and  four  daughters,  viz.  William,  who  married  into  the  Wing  family,  of 
Rhode-Island,  and  had  five  children  ;  Clement,  who  died  childless  ;  Thomas, 
who  married  into  the  Drake  family,  and  had  nine  cliildren  ;  Jeremiah,  who 
married  into  the  same  family,  and  had  eight  children  ;  Elizabeth,  who  mar- 
ried into  the  West  family,  and  had  four  children  ;  Mary,  who  married  into 
the  Richards'  family,  and  h:id  three  children  ;  John,  who  died  childless  ;  Re- 
becca, who  married  into  the  Doyle  family,  and  had  three  children  ;  Sarah, 
who  married  into  the  family  of  the  Kerrels,  and  had  six  children  ;  in  all  38. 
To  mention  tiie  names,  alliances,  and  otlspring  of  these,  would  tend  towards 
an  endless  genealogy.  Sufficelh  it,  tliat  the  Rev.  Thomas  Dungan,  the  first 
Baptist  minister  in  the  province,  now  (1770)  existeth  in  a  progeny  of  between 
six  and  seven  hundred. 


Pemiepek,  or  Lmver- Dublin  Church,  581 

his  wife,  William  Fisher  and  John  Watts,  which  increased 
their  number  to  12  souls,  including  the  minister.  These 
12  did,  by  mutual  consent,  form  themselves  into  a  church 
in  the  month  of  January,  1688,  choosing  Mr.  Keach  to  be 
their  minister,  and  Samuel  Vaus  to  be  deacon.  Soon  af- 
ter, the  few  emigrated  Baptists  in  this  province  and  West- 
Jersey  joined  them  ;  also  those,  whom  Mr  Keach  bap- 
tized at  the  Falls,  Coldspring,  Burlington,  Cohansey,  Sa- 
lem, Penn's-Neck,  Chester,  Philadelphia,  Sec.  They  were 
all  one  church,  and  Pennepek  the  centre  of  union,  where, 
as  many  as  could,  met  to  celebrate  the  Lord's  Supper  ; 
and  for  the  sake  of  distant  members,  they  adminis- 
tered the  ordinance  quarterly  at  Burlington,  Cohansey, 
Chester,  and  Philadelphia ;  m  hich  quarterly  meetings 
have  since  been  transformed  into  three  yearly  meetings 
and  an  Association.  Thus,  for  some  time,  continued  their 
Zion  with  lengthened  cords,  till  the  brethren  in  remote 
parts  set  about  forming  themselves  into  distinct  churches, 
which  began  in  1699.  By  these  detachments  it  was  re- 
duced to  narrow  bounds,  but  continued  among  the 
churches,  as  a  mother  in  the  midst  of  many  daughters. 
A*:  their  settlement,  and  during  the  administration  of  Mr^ 
Keach,  they  were  the  same  as  they  are  now,  with  respect 
to  faith  and  order  ;  but  when  their  number  increased,  and 
emigrants,  from  differing  churches  in  Europe,  incorporat- 
ed \\  ith  them,  divisions  began  to  take  place  about  various 
things,  such  as  absolute  predestination,  laying-on-of-hands, 
distributing  the  elements,  singing  psalms,  seventh-dav  sab- 
bath, &c.  w  hich  threw  the  bcdy  ecclesiastic  into  a  fever. 
In  the  year  1747,  a  tumult  arose  about  the  choice  of  a 
minister,  which  issued  in  a  separation.  But  this,  and  the 
other  maladies  Mere  healed,  when  the  peccant  humours 
had  been  purged  ojBP,  and  the  design  of  Providence  accom- 
plished, which  design  is  expressed  in  these  notable  words, 
There  must  be  divismis  a?no?ig  you,  that  they  who  are  ap- 
prcceci  may  be  made  manifest.      1  Cor.   xi.    19. 

"  The  firbt  minister  they  had  was  the  Rev.  Elias  Keach, 
He  was  son  of  the  famous  Benj  min  Keach,  of  London  ; 
arrived  in  this  country  a  very  wild  youth,  about  the  year 
1686.  On  his  landing,  he  dressed  in  black,  and  vvore  a 
band,  in  order  to  pass  for  a  minister.  The  project  suc- 
ceeded to  his  wishes,  and  many  people  resorted  to  hear 


582       EUas  Keach...John  Watts.,. Eisan  Morgan. 

the  young  London  Divine.  He  performed  well  enough, 
til!  he  had  advanced  pretty  far  in  the  sermon  ;  then  stop- 
ping short,  he  looked  like  a  man  astonished.  The  audi- 
ence concluded  he  had  been  seized  with  a  sudden  disorder ; 
but  on  asking  what  the  matter  was,  received  from  him  a 
confession  of  the  imposture,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  and 
much  trembling.  Great  was  his  distress,  though  it  ended 
happily  ;  for  from  this  time  he  dated  his  conversion.  He 
heard  of  Mr.  Dungan.  To  him  he  repaired  to  seek  coun- 
sel and  comfort,  and  by  him  he  was  baptized  and  ordain- 
ed. From  Coldspring,  Mr.  Keach  came  to  Penneptk, 
and  settled  a  church  there  as  before  related  ;  and  thence 
travelled  through  Pennsylvania  and  the  Jersies,  preaching 
the  Gospel  in  the  wilderness  with  great  success,  insomuch 
that  he  may  be  considered  as  the  chief  apostle  of  the  Bap- 
tists in  these  parts  of  America.  He  and  his  family  em- 
barked for  England,  early  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1692, 
and  afterwards  became  a  very  famous  and  successful  min- 
ister in  London.  Sometime  before  his  embarkation,  he 
had  resigned  the  care  of  the  church  to 

"  Rev.  John  Watts,  who  was  born  November  3,  1661, 
at  Lydd  or  Leed  in  the  county  of  Kent  ;  came  to  this 
country  about  the  year  1686  ;  was  baptized  at  Pennepek, 
November  21,  1687  ;  called  to  the  ministry  in  1688  ;  took 
on  him  the  care  of  the  church  in  1690  ;  continued  in  the 
care  thereof  to  August  27,  1702,  when  he  died  of  the 
small  pox,  and  was  buried  at  Pennepek,  having  had  Mr. 
Samuel  Jones  to  his  assistant.  Mr.  Watts  was  a  sound 
divine,  and  a  man  of  some  learning,  as  appears  by  a  book 
he  wrote,  entitled.  Dams  Disabled.  There  was  an  order 
for  printing  this  book,  dated  August  3,  1705,  but  it  was 
not  executed.  He  also  composed  a  Catechism,  or  little 
system  of  divinity,  which  was  published  in  1700.  Mr. 
Watts  was  succeeded  by 

"  Rev.  Evan  Morgan,  who  came  to  this  country  very 
early,  and  was  a  man  of  piety  and  parts.  He  broke  off 
from  the  Quakers  along  with  many  others  of  Mr.  Keith's 
party  in  1691  ;  was  baptized  in  1697,  by  one  Thomas 
Rutter,  and  the  same  year,  renouncing  the  reliques  of 
Quakerism,  was  received  into  the  church.  In  1702,  he 
was  called  to  the  ministry,  and  ordained  October  23,  1706, 
by  Rev.  Messrs.  Thomas  Griffith  and  Thomas  Killings- 


Samuel  Jones. . .  Joseph  Wood, . .  Abel  Morgan,      583 

worth.  He  died  February  16,  1709,  and  was  buried  at 
Pennepek,  after  having  had  the  joint  care  of  tlie  church 
for  upwards  of  two  years.  Mr.  Morgan's  successor,  who 
had  also  been  his  colleague,  was  the 

*'  Rev.  Samuel  Jones,  who  was  born,  July  9,  1657,  in 
the  parish  of  Llanddewi,  and  the  county  of  Radnor;  came 
to  this  country  about  1686  ;  called  to  the  ministry  m 
1697  ;  ordained,  October  23,  1706,  at  which  time  he 
took  part  of  the  ministry  with  Mr.  Evan  Morgan.  He 
died  February  3,  1722,  and  was  buried  at  Pennepek, 
He  had  Mr.  John  Hart  and  others  to  his  assistants.  The 
ground  on  which  the  meeting-house  stands  w-as  given 
by  him.  He  also  gave  for  the  use  of  the  church  Pool's 
Annotations,  2  vols.  Burkit's  Annotations,  1  vol.  Keach 
on  the  Parables,  and  Bishop's  Body  of  Divinity,  &,c.  His 
successor,  who  also   had  been  his  colleague,  was 

Rev.  Joseph  Wood,  who  was  born  in  the  year  1659, 
near  Hull,  in  Yorkshire  ;  came  to  this  country  about 
1684  ;  baptized  by  Mr.  Keach,  at  Burlington,  July  24, 
1691  ;  ordained  September  25,  1708,  at  which  time  he 
took  part  of  the  ministry  with  Mr.  Evan  Morgan  and  Mr. 
Samuel  Jones.  He  died,  September  15,  1747,  and  was 
buried  at  Coldspring.     Mr.  Wood  was  succeeded  by 

"Rev.  Abel  Morgan.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1637, 
at  a  place  called  AUtgoch,  in  the  parish  of  Llanwenog, 
and  county  of  Carmarthen  ;  entered  on  the  ministry  in 
the  19th  year  of  his  age  ;  was  ordained  at  Blaenegwent, 
in  Monmouthshire.  He  arrived  in  this  country,  February 
14,  1711  ;  resided  sometime  at  Philadelphia,  and  then 
removed  to  Pennepek  ;  took  on  him  the  care  of  the  church 
as  soon  as  he  landed  ;  and  continued  therein  to  his  death, 
which  came  to  pass,  December  16,  1722.  He  was  buried 
in  the  grave-yard  of  Philadelphia,  where  a  stone  is  erected 
to  his  memory.  Mr.  Morgan  was  a  man  of  considerable 
distinction.  He  compiled  a  folio  Concordance  to  the 
Welch  Bible  printed  at  Philadelphia  in  1730  ;  he  also 
translated  the  Century  Confession  to  Welsh,  and  added  there- 
to article  the  xxiii  and  xxxi.  Several  other  pieces  of  his 
are  yet  extant  in  manuscripts.     His  successor  was 

"  Rev.  Jenkin  Jones,  who  bec»e  minister  of  this 
church  in  the  year  1725,  which  was'ffear  three  years  after 
Mr.  Morgan's  decease  ;  and  had  Mr.  William  Kinnersley 


584      Philadelphia. . .  First  or  Second-  Street  Church . 

to  his  assistant.  Mr.  Wood  was  yet  alive,  but  not  very 
capable  of  serving  the  church.  He  continued  in  the  care 
thereof  for  upwards  of  twenty  years,  and  then  resigned  it, 
to  become  the  minister  of  Philadelphia  church,  where  we 
shall  say  more  of  him.     The  next  in  of&ce  here  was 

"  Rev.  Peter  Peterson  Vanhorn.  He  was  born,  August 
24,  1719,  at  Middletown  in  Back's  county,  and  was  bred 
a  Lutheran  ;  embraced  the  principles  of  the  Baptists,  Sep- 
tember 6,  1741  ;  ordained,  June  18,  1747  ;  continued  in 
the  oversight  of  the  church  to  1762,  when  he  resigned, 
and  settled  at  the  Newmills,  in  the  Jersey.  His  assistant 
was  Mr.  George  Eaton.  His  wife  is  Margaret  Marshall, 
by  whom  he  has  children,  William,  Gabriel,  Peter,  Aaron, 
Thomas,  Elizabeth,    Marshal,  Charles.     His  successor  is 

*'  Rev.  Samuel  Jones,  D.  D.  who  yet  continues  the  pas- 
tor of  this  ancient  and  respectable  church,  although  he  is 
almost  80  years  old.  He  was  born  January  14,  1735,  at 
a  place  called  Cefeny  Gelli  in  Bettus  parish  in  Glam()r^•an- 
shire  ;  came  to  America  in  1737  ;  was  bred  in  the  col- 
lege of  Philadelphia  ;  was  ordained,  January  8,  176.3,  at 
which  time  he  commenced  minister  of  Peimepek  and 
Southampton  ;  but  he  resigned  the  care  of  the  Southamp- 
ton church  in  1770,  in  favour  of  Erasmus  Kelly. "*  This 
church  is  now  called  Lower  Dublin,  from  the  name  of  the 
township  in  which  it  is   situated. 

Their  first  meeting  house  was  a  neat  stone  building  33 
feet  by  30,  erected  in  1707,  on  a  lot  of  one  acre,  the  gift 
of  Rev.  Samuel  Jones.  This  house  was  taken  down  in 
1805,  to  make  room  for  the  more  spacious  one,  which  was 
immediately  erected  on  the  spot,  and  was  built  of  stonCj 
55  feet  by  45. 

This  church  has  about  600  dollars  at  interest,  which  is 
accumulating  yearly.  In  addition  to  this,  Dr.  Jones  has 
given  them  a  handsome  sum  in  his  Will,  to  be  for  their 
use  when  he  is  gone. 

PHILADELPHIA. 

Firsts  or  Second  Street  Church — This  church  is  in  reali- 
ty nearly  as  old  as  Paunepek,  and  its  history  will  lead  us 
almost  to  the  foundil^  of  the  city. 

•  Edwards'  Materials  for  Pennsylvaaia,  p,  6— IT. 


Origin  of  the  First  Church  in  Philadelphia.       585 

*'  In  the  year  1686,  one  John  Holmes,  who  was  a  Bap- 
tist,  arrived  and  settled  in  the  neighbourhood.  He  was  a 
maM  of"  property  and  learning,  and  therefore  we  find  him  in 
the  magistracy  of  the  place  in  1691,  and  was  the  same 
man  who  refused  to  act  with  the  Quaker  magistrates, 
against  the  Keithians.  He  died  Judge  of  Saleih  Court. 
In  1696,  John  Farmer  and  his  wife,  members  of  a  Baptist 
church  in  London,  then  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  fa- 
mous Haubard  Knollis,  arrived  and  settled  in  the  place. 
In  1697,  one  Joseph  Todd  and  Rebecca  Woosoncroft 
came  to  the  same  neighbourhood,  who  belonged  to  a  Bap- 
tist church  at  Limmington,  in  Hampshire,  England,  where- 
of Rev.  John  Rumsay  was  pastor.  The  same  year  one 
William  Silverstone,  William  Elton  and  wife,  and  Mary 
Shepherd,  were  baptized  by  Thomas  Killingworth. 
These  nine  persons,  on  the  second  Sunday  in  December, 
1698,  assembled  at  a  house  in  Barbadoes  lot,  and  coal- 
esced into  a  church  for  the  communion  of  saints,  having 
Rev.  John  Watts  to  their  assistance.  From  that  time  to 
the  year  1746,  they  increased  partly  by  emigrations  from 
the  old  country,  and  partly  by  the  occasional  labours  of 
Elias  Keach,  Thomas  Killingworth,  John  Watts,  Samu- 
el Jones,  Evan  Morgan,  John  Hart,  Joseph  Wood,  Na- 
thaniel Jenkins,  Thomas  Griffiths,  Elisha  Thomas,  Enoch 
Morgan,  John  Burrows,  Thomas  Selby,  Abel  Morgan, 
George  Eglesfield,  W^illiam  Kinnersley,  and  otners.  From, 
the  beginning  to  the  last  mentioned  time,  (1746)  they  had 
no  setded  minister  among  them,  though  it  was  a  period 
of  48  years.  The  first,  that  might  be  properly  called 
their  own,  was  Jenkin  Jones  ;  the  rest  belonging  to  other 
churches.  They  did,  indeed,  in  1723,  choose  George 
Eaglesfield  to  preach  to  them,  contrary  to  the  sense  of  the 
church  at  Pennepek  ;  but  in  1725,  he  left  them  and  went 
to  Middleton.  About  the  year  1746,  a  question  arose, 
w  hether  Philadelphia  was  not  a  branch  of  Pennepek  ?  and 
consequently,  whether  the  latter  had  not  a  right  to  part  of 
the  legacies  bestowed  on  the  former  ?  This,  indeed,  was 
a  groundless  question  ;  but  for  fear  the  design  of  their  ben- 
efactors should  be  perverted,  the  church,  then  consisting 
of  56  members,  was  formally  constituted.  May  15,  1746. 

"  The  place  where  these  people  met,   at  first,  was  the 
corner  of  Second- street  and  Chesnut-street,  known  by  the 

VOL.   I.  74 


586  Difficulties  arise  in  the  Church. 

name  of  Barbadoes  lot.  The  building  was  a  store-house  ; 
but  when  the  Barbadoes  company  left  the  place,  the  Bap- 
tists held  their  rneetinj^s  there.  So  also  did  the  Presbyte- 
rians, when  either  a  Baptist  or  Presbyterian  minister  hap- 
pened to  be  in  town  ;  for  as  yet  neither  had  any  settled 
among  them.  But  when  Jedidiah  Andrews,  from  New- 
England,  came  to  the  latter,  the  Baptists,  as  has  generally 
been  their  lot,  were,  in  a  manner,  driven  away.  Several 
letters  passed  between  the  two  societies  on  the  occasion, 
which  are  yet  extant.  There  was  also  a  deputation  of 
three  Baptists  appointed  to  remonstrate  with  the  Presby- 
terians, for  so  unkind  and  rightless  a  conduct  ;  but  to  no 
purpose.  From  that  time  forth,  the  Baptists  held  their 
worship  at  a  place  near  the  draw-bridge,  known  by  the 
name  of  Anthony  Morris''s  brew-house  ;  here  they  continu- 
ed to  meet  till  March  15,  1707,  when  by  invitation  of  the 
Keithians,  they  removed  their  worship  to  Second-street, 
where  they  hold  it  to  this  day.  The  Keithian  meeting 
house  was  a  small  wooden  building,  erected  in  1692.  This 
the  Baptists  took  down,  in  1731,  and  raised  on  the  same 
spot,  a  neat  brick  building,  42  feet  by  30.  This  house 
W'as  also  taken  down  in  1762,  and  a  more  spacious  one  was 
erected  on  the  spot,  61  feet  by  42,  which  was  also  built 
with  brick  at  the  expense  of  ^^2200."  This  house  was 
enlarged  about  1808,  so  that  their  place  of  worship  now 
is  61  feet  by  75.  The  old  lot  was  43  feet  front  on  Second- 
street,  and  303  feet  deep  towards  Third  street. 

The  additional  ground  purchased  for  the  recent  enlarge- 
inent  of  the  house,  extends  37t  feet  from  the  old  lot  to  a 
court  called  Fremberger's,  on  which  it  has  a  front  of  130 
feet.  This,  with  the  enlargement  of  the  house,  cost 
18,000  dollars. 

But  to  return  :  "An  accident,  in  1734,  had  like  to 
have  deprived  the  church,  both  of  their  house  and  lot  ; 
for  then  one  Thomas  Pearl  died,  after  having  made  a  con- 
veyance of  the  premises  to  the  church  of  England.  The 
vestry  demanded  possession,  but  the  Baptists  refused,  and 
a  law-suit  commenced,  which  brought  the  matter  to  a 
hearing  before  the  Assembly.  'J'he  Episcopalians  being 
discouraged,  offered  to  give  up  their  claim  for  £.S0.  The 
uffer  was  accepted,  and  contention  ceased. 


^ en  kin  Jones...Eben€Zer  Kinnersley.  587 

"  This  church  experienced  a  painful  division  in  1711, 
occasioned  by  the  turbulent  spirit  of  an  Irish  preacher,  wiio 
was  among  them,  along  with  Mr.  Burrows.  His  name 
was  Thomas  Selby.  When  he  had  formed  a  party,  he 
shut  Mr.  Burrows  and  his  friends  out  of  the  meeting-house, 
who  thenceforth  met  at  Mr.  Burrows'  house  in  Chesnut- 
Strtet.  This  was  the  situation  of  affairs  when  Mr.  Abel 
Morgan  arrived  in  1711.  But  his  presence  soon  healed 
the  breach,  and  obliged  Selby  to  quit  the  town,  which  he 
did  in  1713,  and  went  to  Carolina,  and  there  died  the 
same  year,  but  not  before  he  had  occasioned  much  disturb- 
ance. The  ministers  which  this  church  have  had  from 
the  beginning  to  the  year  1746,  are  mentioned  above,  and 
some  of  them  have  been  already  characterized.  The  fol- 
lowing arc  the  ministers  they  have  had  since  that  time. 

"  Rev.  Jenkin  Jones.  He  was  born  about  1690  in  the 
parish  ot  Llanfernach,  and  county  of  Pembroke,  and  arriv- 
ed in  this  country  about  1710.  He  was  called  to  the  min- 
istry in  Welsh  Tract  in  1724  ;  removed  to  Philadelphia 
in  1725,  and  became  the  minister  of  the  church  at  that 
place,  only,  at  the  time  of  its  reconstitution,  May  15, 
1746  ;  for,  theretofore,  he  had  the  care  of  Pennepek  also. 
He  died  at  Philadelphia,  July  16,  1761,  and  was  there 
buried,  where  a  tomb  is  erected  to  his  memory.  Mr. 
Jones  was  a  good  man  and  did  real  services  to  this  church, 
and  to  the  Baptist  interest.  He  secured  to  them  the  pos- 
session of  their  valuable  lot,  and  place  of  worship  before 
described.  He  was  the  moving  cause  of  altering  the  di- 
rection of  licenses,  so  as  to  enable  dissenting  ministers  to 
perform  marriages  by  them.  He  built  a  parsonage  house, 
partly  at  his  own  charge.  He  gave  a  handsome  legacy  to- 
wards purchasing  a  silver  cup  for  the  Lord's  Table,  which 
is  worth  upwards  of  ^^60.  His  name  is  engraven  upon 
it."* 

"  Rev.  Ebenezer  Kinnersly,  A.  M.  was  cotemporary 
with  Mr.  Jones.  He  was  born,  November  30,  1711,  in 
the  city  of  Gloucester,  and  arrived  in  this  country,  Sep- 
tember 12,  1714  ;  was  ordained  in  1743,  and  preached  at 
Philadelphia  and  elsewhere  to  1754,  when  he  obtained  a 
Proiessor's  chair  in  the  College  of  Philadelphia. 

•  Edwards'  Materials,  &c.  p.  41-»7 


588  William  Rogers,  D.  D, 

Mr.  Kinnersley  was  a  companion  of  Dr.  Franklin  ia 
philosophical  researches,  and  has  immortalized  his  name 
on  account  of  his  improvements  in  electricity.  He  died 
in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia,  and  was  buried  in  the 
Baptist  cemetery  at  Lower- Dublin. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  this  eminent  man  "  left  the 
Baptist  communion,  laid  aside  his  clerical  character,  and 
joined  the  Episcopal  church."*  That  he  declined  preach- 
ing after  he  engaged  in  the  duties  of  his  professorship  is 
not  denied,  but  that  he  joined  the  Episcopalians,  Dr.  Rog- 
ers declares,  is  incorrect  :  "  Mr.  Kinnersley,"  says  he, 
"  continued  a  firm  Baptist  till  his  death,  and  was  a  constant 
attendant  and  communicant  in  the  First  Baptist  church  in 
Philadelphia  till  he  removed  to  the  country."  His  wife  was 
an  Episcopalian,  and  probably  his  sometimes  waiting  on 
her  to  church,  gave  rise  to  the  groundless  report  above 
mentioned. 

The  next  pastor  to  Mr.  Jones  was  Morgan  Edwards, 
A.  M.  for  whose  character  the  reader  is  referred  to  his 
biography. 

Successor  to  Mr.  Edwards  was  William  Rogers,  D.  D. 
who  served  the  church  about  three  years.  During  his  pas- 
toral labours  a  revival  took  place  in  which  between  forty 
and  fifty  were  added.  Dr.  Rogers  was  born  in  Newport, 
Rhode- Island,  July  22,  1751,  O.  S.  was  educated  in 
Rhode  Island  College,  being  the  very  first  student  that  en- 
tered that  institution,  Mas  baptized  by  the  late  Ga! diner 
Thurston  of  Newport,  ^ho  was  his  uncle,  in  1770,  was 
sent  into  the  ministry  by  the  church  of  which  he  w  as  pas- 
tor in  1771,  2nd  the  same  year  removed  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  During  five  years  of  the  rev- 
olutionary war,  he    was  a  chaplain  in  the  American  army. 

In  1789,  he  was  appointed  a  Professor  in  the  Universi- 
ty of  Pennsylvania,  v\hich  office  he  held  till  1812,  when  he 
resigned  it.  Dr.  Rogers  has  long  maintained  an  exten- 
sive correspondence,  and  is  extensively  known  among  the 
Baptists  in  America,  Europe,  and  India. 

This  church  remained  destitute  of  a  pastor,  during  the 
revolutionary  war,  but  in  1782,  Rev.  Thomas  Ustick, 
A.  M.  was  inducted  into  the  pastoral  office.  Mr.  Ustick 
was  born  in   the   city  of  New-York,    August   30,    1753, 

*  Retrospect  of  the  18th  Century,  note,  vol.  ii.  p.  354i. 


Rei).  Thomas  Ustick.  '  589 

He  was  baptized  by  the  Rev.  John  Gano,  in  that  city, 
when  he  was  but  little  more  than  13  years  of  age.  At  his 
baptism,  Mr.  Gano  gave  out  the  138th  hymn,  first  book, 
Dr.  Watts,  and  in  the  second  verse  he  parodied  thus  : 

"  His  honor  is  engag'd  to  save 
The  youngest  of  his  sheep,"  &c. 

"  Why  did  you  not  give  the  words  as  they  are?"  said  Mr. 
Ustick,  "  The  meanest  of  his  sheep,"  for  truly  I  am  so." 

Mr.  Ustick  was  educated  at  Rhode- Island  College, 
where  he  graduated  in  1771.  About  three  years  after  he 
left  college,  he  was  called  to  the  ministr)  by  the  church  in 
the  city  of  New-York,  and  on  the  5th  of  August,  1777, 
was  ordained  at  Providence,  Rhode- Island,  b}  President 
Mannir'g,  Rev.  Job  Seamans,  of  Attleborough,  and  Rev. 
William  Williams,  of  Wrentham.  Previous  to  his  ordi- 
nation, Mr.  Ustick  preached  awhile  at  Stamford,  in  Con- 
necticut, and  soon  after  he  was  settled  at  Ashford,  in  the 
same  State.  From  that  place  he  removed  to  Grafton,  in 
^Jassachusetts,  and  from  Grafton  he  removed  to  PhiLdel- 
phia,  as  above  related.  In  this  city  he  continued  his  min- 
istry, with  much  reputation,  for  almost  21  years.  But  his 
work  in  the  church  militant  being  finished,  he  was,  we 
trust,  removed  to  the  church  triumphant,  April,  1803,  ia 
the  50th  year  of  his  age. 

During  his  confinement,  the  Gospel,  which  he  had  de- 
livered to  others,  he  assured  a  worthy  friend,  who  visited 
him  a  day  or  two  before  his  death,  afforded  him  the  great- 
est consolation.  On  Lord's  day,  being  visited  by  several 
brethren,  he  proposed  to  them  after  prayer,  to  sing  the 
138th  hymn,  first  book  : 

*'  Firm  as  the  earth  thy  Gospel  stands,"  &c. 

the  same  that  was  sung  at  his  baptism.  The  night  which 
closed  the  scene  of  life,  (his  son  sitting  up  with  him)  sen- 
sible, no  doubt,  of  his  approaching  dissolution,  he  was 
heard  distinctly  to  say,  "  The  Lord  is  my  shield  and  my 
buckler."  It  pleased  God  to  grant  him  an  easy  passage 
into  eternity  ;  departing  w  ithout  a  groan,  he  fell  asleep  in 
Jesus.  A  funeral  sermon  was  delivered  on  the  next 
Lord's-Day,  by  Dr.  Rogers,  who  furnished  this  biography, 
from  John  xi.  11.     Our  friend  Lazarus  skepeth. 


590  Henry  Holcomhe^  D.  D. 

Successor  to  Mr.  Ustick  was  William  Staughton,  D.  D. 
He  was  iiuited  to  the  pastoral  care  of  this  church  early  in 
1805,  and  continued  with  them  about  six  years,  when  he 
resigned  his  charge  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  new  church 
in  Sansom-Street.  Under  his  ministry  the  meeting-house 
was  enlarged,  and  nearly  300  added  to  the  church  by- 
baptism. 

Next  to  him  was  their  present  pastor  Henry  Holcombe, 
D.  D.  He  was  born  in  Prince  Edward  county,  Virginia, 
February  22,  1762  ;  was  carried  when  a  cl"iild  to  South- 
Carolina  ;  was  a  Captain  in  the  latter  part  of  the  revolu- 
tionary war,  and  when  the  United  States  Constitution  was 
adopted  by  South-Carolina,  Mr.  Holcombe  was  a  member 
of  the  Convention. — Before  this  he  had  beean  to  preach, 
and  was  settled  in  the  pastoral  care  of  the  church  on  Pipe 
Creek,  in  that  State.  In  1~91,  he  settled  at  Euhaw,  after- 
wards was  pastor  of  the  church,  which  arose  under  his 
ministry  at  Beaufort,  from  which  place  he  removed  to  Sa- 
vannah in  1799,  planted  a  church  in  that  city  soon  after, 
which  he  served  about  eleven  years,  and  then  removed  up 
the  country  to  Mount  Enon,  where  he  intended  to  spend 
the  remainder  of  his  days  in  retirement.  From  this  place 
he  received  two  calls,  one  from  the  first  church  in  Boston, 
the  other  from  the  one  which  he  now  serves,  with  the  pas- 
toral care  of  which  he  was  invested  in  1811. 

This  church  has  the  most  ample  endowments  of  any  of 
our  connexion  in  America.  Their  property  appropriated 
expressly  for  the  support  of  their  poor  members  is,  1st, 
Three  small  three  story  brick  houses,  the  gift  of  Mrs. 
Sarah  Branson,  which  now  rent  for  900  dollars  a  year. 
2d,  Three  hundred  pounds  Pennsylvania  currency,  or  800 
dollars,  the  gift  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Smith  ;  the  interest  of  two 
thirds  of  this  legac}'  is  designed  for  the  poor,  the  other 
is  for  the  minister.  3d,  S  13,  60,  per  annum,  the  gift 
of  John  Morgan,  to  be  distributed  by  the  pastor  at  his 
discretion.  May  8,  every  year.  The  property  for  the 
general  benefit  of  the  church  is  two  brick  houses,  which 
now  rent  for  720  dollars  a  year,  one  of  them  was  former- 
ly the  parsonage.  In  addition  to  these  possessions,  they 
have  a  lot  of  large  dimensions  on  the  river  Schuylkill, 
on  which,  a  few  years  since,  they  erected  a  building  for 
baptismal  occasions.      It  is  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  36 


Second^  African^  £s?  Third  Churches  in  Philadelphia.    591 

feet  by  18.  The  lower  story  is  fitted  up  in  the  form  of 
a  vestry,  with  a  pulpit  and  seats,  in  which  the  minister 
discourses  previous  to  baptism.  The  upper  story  is  di- 
vided into  two  rooms  for  the  convenience  of  candidates. 
This  lot  and  building  cost  1600  dollars.  The  rent  of  their 
pews,  as  now  rated,  amounts  to  about  2000  dollars  a  year, 
which  is  appropriated  to  the  minister  and  sexton.* 

Second  Church. — This  church  is  situated  in  that  part  of 
the  city  called  the  Northern  Liberties.  It  was  constituted 
of  twenty  members  from  the  First  Church  in  1803.  They 
have  a  commodious  brick  meeting-house  66  feet  by  46,  built 
soon  after  they  were  constituted.  It  stands  on  a  lot  2^0 
feet  by  200.  The  building  and  lot  cost  about  1 1,000  doU 
lars.  About  nine  months  after  this  body  was  ori^anized, 
Mr.  William  White  became  its  pastor,  which  office  he 
still  sustains.  He  was  born  in  New- York  in  1768,  began 
preaching  in  the  church  at  Roxbury  near  this  city  in  1792, 
the  year  after  was  ordained  at  the  same  place,  and  for  some 
years  before  he  came  to  his  present  station,  was  pastor  of 
the  church  at  New-Britain. 

From  this  church  originated  that  at  Frankfort,  a  few 
miles  to  the  north  of  it,  in  1807. 

African  Church. — This  is  the  next  in  point  of  age,  and 
was  formed  of  twelve  members  from  the  First  church,  in 
June,  1809.  They  were  supplied  for  a  time  by  Mr.  Hen- 
ry Cunningham  of  Savannah,  Georgia,  but  have  now  for 
their  pastor  Mr.  John  King,  from  Virginia.  He  joined 
the  church  before  he  began  to  preach,  and  was  ordained 
to  the  pastoral  office  in  1812.  This  church  has  erected 
a  small  neat  building  37  feet  by  26,  which  they  intend  for 
a  vestry,  whenever  they  shall  be  able  to  build  one  of  larger 
dimensions. 

Third  Church  was  constituted  of  30  members,  mostly 
from  the  first,  in  August,  1809.  It  is  situated  in  Souih- 
wark,  some  distance  from  the  other  churches,  and  is  un- 
der the  care  of  Mr.  John  P.  Peckworth,  one  of  the  constit- 
uent members.  He  was  born  in  Chatham,  Kent  county, 
England,  about  1770,  came  to  Philadelphia  at  the  age  of 
thirteen,  four  years  after  was  baptized  in  Wilmington, 
Delaware,  by  Mr.  Thomas  Fleeson,  came  back  to  this 

*  This,  with  much  other  inf«rmation,  was  commanicated  by  Dr.  Rogers. 


592  Sansoni'Street  Churchy  in  Philadelphia. 

citv  soon  after,  joined  the  church  then  under  the  care  of 
Mr.  Ustick,  by  u  hich  he  was  approbated  to  preach  in  1802. 

This  church  has  erected  a  fine  stone  meeting-house  60 
feet  by  50,  which  was  opened  for  pubUck  worship  Februa- 
ry, 1811.  It  stands  on  South-second  Street.  Their  lot 
has  63  ftet  front,  is  200  feet  deep,  and  84  feet  on  the  back 
side.     This,  with  their  house,   cost  about   16,000  dollars. 

Sansom  Street  Church- — This  also  originated  from  the 
ancient  connuunity  in  Second  Street.  Its  constituent 
members  were  91,  and  received  the  fellowship  of  their 
brethren  as  a  distinct  church,  January,  ,1811.  Soon  after 
they  were  organized,  Dr.  Staughton  resigned  his  for- 
mer charge,  and  became  their  pastor.  He  was  born  in 
January  4,  1770,  at  Coventry,  Warwickshire,  England. 
His  parents  are  both  members  of  Dr.  Rippon's  church  ia 
London,  his  father  was  many  years  deacon  of  the  church 
in  Coventry,  of  w  hich  the  late  Mr.  Butterworth,  the  author 
of  the  Concoidance,  was  pastor.  Dr.  Staughton  had  his 
education  at  the  Bristol  Academy,  under  Dr.  Evans,  came 
to  America  and  landed  at  Charleston,  South-Carolina, 
in  1793,  spent  some  time  in  Georgetown  in  that  State, 
where  he  planted  the  church  now  under  the  care  of  Mn 
Botriford,  came  to  the  northward  in  1795,  spent  a  short 
time  in  New- York  and  its  vicinity,  was  afterwards  settled 
at  Bordenton,  then  at  Burlington,  New- Jersey,  and  in  the 
last  place  set  in  order  the  church,  whose  present  pastor  is 
Burgiss  Allison,  D.  D.  From  Burlington  he  removed 
to  Philadelphia,  to  succeed  Mr.  Ustick,  as  we  have  before 
related. 

I'hc  church  under  consideration  have  erected  a  house 
of  worship  of  an  imcommon  size  and  somewhat  singular 
form.  It  is  a  circular  building,  90  feet  diameter,  and  with 
the  lot  on  which  it  stands  cost  about  40,000  dollars.  It  is 
incumbered  with  a  debt  of  no  small  amount,  which  however, 
individuals  of  the  church  have  assumed  in  the  form  of  a 
fund,  until  means  shall  be  found  for  its  liquidation.  Their 
income  from  pew-rents  and  collections  is  said  to  be  be- 
tween four  and  five  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  their 
prospect  is  fair  soon  to  clear  their  great  estate.  None  of 
their  pews  are  sold  or  intended  to  be,  and  no  society- men 
have  any  control  of  their  house  or  affliirs.  As  some  read- 
ers may  wish  for  a  more  particular  description  of  die  San- 


Description  of  the  Satisom-Street  Meeting-house.    593 

som-Street  meeting-house,  I  shall  for  their  gratification 
transcribe  it  in  the  note  below.  * 

In  the  neighbourhood  of'  Philadelphia,  a  number  of 
churches  arose  in  early  times,  of  which  we  shall  give  some 
brief  accounts.  Of  those  which  have  been  formed  of  late 
years,  but  little  information  has  been  obtained. 

Great  Valley. — This  church  was  planted  by  peo- 
ple from  Wales  in  1711.     Its  seat  is  18  miles   westward 

*  "The  plan  of  this  house  within  is  a  rotundo,  ninety  feet  diameter,  sur- 
mounted by  a  dome,  crowned  with  a  lanthorn  or  cupola,  upwards  of  twenty 
feet  diameter.  The  walls,  with  the  dome,  are  elevated  upwards  of  fifty  feet 
above  the  ground,  built  of  brick,  and  the  dome  constructed  of  shoi't  pieces  of 
plank,  upon  the  principle  adopted  in  that  of  the  Halle  de  Bled,  at  Paris. 
From  the  top  of  the  walls,  three  steps  encircle  the  building'  before  the  swell 
of  the  dome  appears,  the  rise  of  which  is  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees. 
In  front  and  rear  of  the  i-otundo,  square  projections,  of  sixty  feet  extent,  come 
forward  ;  that  in  the  rear  to  provide  space  for  vestry  rooms,  rising  only  one 
story  ;  that  in  the  front,  to  accommodate  the  staircases  of  the  galleries,  ris- 
ing on  a  marble  basement  to  the  common  height  of  tlie  walls. 

"  The  front  projection  comes  to  the  line  of  the  street,  in  form  of  wings, 
separated  by  a  colonnade,  and  are  crowned  by  two  belfries  or  cupolas, 

"  The  principal  entrance  into  the  house  is  by  a  flight  of  marble  steps  into 
an  Ionic  colonnade  ;  on  either  hand  are  doors  leading  to  the  stair-cases  of  the 
galleries:  from  this  colonnade  you  pass  into  the  grand  aisle,  leading  direct  to 
tlie  baptistery  and  pulpit;  two  other  aisles  run  parallel  with  this,  and  one 
main  aisle  crosses  the  whole  in  the  diameter  of  the  house.  At  the  termina- 
tion of  all  these  aisles,  are  doors  of  outlet  from  the  building.  The  baptistery 
is  situate  in  the  centre  of  the  circle,  in  view  of  every  pait  of  the  gallery,  and 
is  surrounded  by  an  open  balustrade,  and  when  not  in  use  for  the  ordinance  of 
baptism  closed  over  by  a  floor  to  accommodate  strangers. 

"  The  galleries,  which  are  described  concentric  with  the  great  circle,  cir- 
cumscribe the  nave  of  the  building,  except  in  that  section  occupied  by  the 
pulpit,  and  are  supported  by  twelve  columns.  The  pulpit,  which  is  placed  to 
front  the  grand  aisle,  is  a  continuation  of  the  galleries,  and  comes  forward 
supported  by  a  screen  of  columns.  The  space  under  the  pulpit  is  closed  and 
thrown  into  the  vestry  rooms  behind,  but  may  at  any  time  be  opened,  the 
screen  being  constituted  of  folding  doors. 

"  The  circumference  of  the  building  is  lighted  by  large  square  windows  be- 
low, and  a  ring  of  semi-circular  windows  above  the  galleries.  The  great 
lanthorn  of  the  dome,  immediately  over  the  baptistery,  lights  the  centre  and 
ventilates  the  whole  house,  being  encircleid  with  sashes,  which  open  and  shut 
at  pleasure.  The  height  to  the  apex  of  this  lanthorn,  from  the  floor,  is  up- 
wards of  fifty  feet. 

"  The  foot  of  the  dome  is  encompassed  by  a  broad  moulded  band,  above 
tvhich  two  other  bands  run  round.  The  lanthorn  has  its  soffit  enriched  with 
mouldings. 

"  The  pews  below  are  so  disposed  as  to  run  parallel  with  the  transverse 
diameter  of  the  room,  the  number  of  which,  together  with  those  in  the  gal- 
leries, exceed  three  hundred  and  twenty,  and  with  the  publick  seats  contain, 
v/ith  comfort,  upwards  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  people. 

"  The  design  of  this  building  v/as  furnished  by  Mr.  Mills,  a  pupil  of  Mr. 
Latrobe,  and  as  the  direction  of  the  execution  of  his  design  has  been  wisely 
committed  to  him,  the  building  does  credit  to  his  talents,  and  proves  an  orna- 
ment to  the  city. 

"  Mr.  Mills  is  the  first  American  architect,  regularly  educated  to  the 
profession  in  his  own  country." Picture  of  Fhiladelphia,  p.  ."2fi — 8. 

VOL.   r.  75 


594      Montgomery  and  South-Hampton  Churches, 

from  Philadelphia.  It  was  once  handsomely  endowed  with 
lands  and  funds  ;  what  is  the  present  state  of  its  tempor- 
alities I  have  not  been  informed.  The  first  pastor  at  the 
Valley  was  Mr.  Hugh  Davis,  a  native  of  Wales.  After 
him  was  John  Davis  from  the  same  country  ;  their  present 
pastor,  Mr.  David  Jones,  is  also  of  Welsh  extraction. 

Montgomery. — This  church  was  also  founded  by 
Welsh  Baptists,  and  was  constituted  in  1719.  Two  of  its 
pastors,  viz.  Benjamin  Griffiths  and  John  Thomas  were 
born  in  the  Principality,  the  first  in  the  county  of  Caidigan, 
1688,  the  other  in  that  of  Radnor  in  1703.  Who  have 
been  pastors  of  this  body  since  Mr.  Thomas  does  not  ap- 
pear ;  it  is  now  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Silas  Hough. 

South-Hampton  was  the  seventh  church  which  arose 
in  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  constituted  in 
1746.  It  was  founded  by  some  members  of  the  church  at 
Pennepek,  and  by  the  remains  of  a  society  of  Keithians, 
who  settled  in  the  neighbourhood  about  1700.  The  first 
pastor  was  Mr.  Joshua  Potts,  who  was  ordained  the  same 
year  the  church  was  constituted,  and  continued  in  office 
till  his  death  in  1761.  Since  Mr.  Potts,  this  church  has 
had  in  succession  for  its  pastors  or  supplies,  Thomas  Da- 
vis, once  at  Oyster-Bay,  New- York,  Dr.  Samuel  Jones, 
now  of  Lower-Dublin,  Erasmus  Kelly,  who  died  at  New- 
port, Rhode- Island,  the  late  William  Vanhorn,  David 
Jones,  now  at  the  Great- Valley,  Thomas  Memmenger, 
and  Thomas  B.  Montanye,  who  is  still  with  them,  but 
talks  of  leaving  his  pleasant  situation  for  the  attracting, 
ultramontane  regions  of  the  west.  Mr.  Montanye  was 
born  in  NewYork,  1769,  was  settled  a  number  of  years  in 
Warwick  in  that  State,  and  came  to  South-Hampton  in 
1801.  This  church  has  a  valuable  estate,  the  gift  of  John 
Morris,  one  of  its  ancient  members.  < 

It  is  pleasant  to  find  that  so  many  brethren  and  sisters 
in  the  old  churches  through  New-Jersey,  Pennsylvania, 
and  Delaware,  had  the  cause  of  Zion  so  much  at  heart, 
that  they  made  provision  for  its  support  after  they  were 
gone.  If  more  now  would  think  of  this  matter,  and  if 
churches  would  see  that  all  their  members  did  their  propor- 
tion, or  else  turn  them  out  of  fellowship,  they  would  not 
have  occasion  so  often  to  go  down  to  Egypt  for  help. 


Philadelphia  Association.  595 

From  the  South-Hampton  church  originated  those  emi- 
nent  ministers,  Isaac  Eaton  and  Oliver  Hart. 

The  church  at  New-Britain  arose  out  of  a  division  of 
the  Montgomery,  and  was  formed  in  1754.  Their  three 
first  pastors  were  Joseph  Eaton,  William  Davis,  and 
Joshua  Jones,  all  from  Wales. 

The  HiLLTowN  Church  also  sprang  from  the  ancient 
community  at  Montgomery,  of  which  it  was  formerly  a 
branch.  It  was  constituted  a  distinct  body  in  1781,  had 
for  its  first  pastor  Mr.  John  Thomas,  next  to  him  Mr. 
James  M'Laughlin,  now  pastor  at  Piscataway,  and  after 
his  removal,  Mr.  Joseph  Mathias,  one  of  their  number,  be- 
gan to  preach,  and  was  ordained  their  pastor  in  1806. 

PHILADELPHIA    ASSOCIATION. 

Where  a  particular  account  of  churches  is  previously 
given,  the  less  remains  to  be  said  of  the  Associations  which 
they  compose.  We  have  already  mentioned  in  Epoch 
Second,  that  this  ancient  Association  was  formed  in  1707. 
It  begun  with  five  churches,  but  in  process  of  time  became 
a  numerous  body,  and  for  many  years  ejitended  from  Ke- 
tockton  in  Virginia  to  Northeast-town  in  New- York,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  400  miles.  From  it  originated  the  Ketock- 
ton,  Baltimore,  and  Delaware  Associations  on  the  south ; 
on  the  north,  those  of  New-York,  Warwick,  and  New-Jer- 
sey.  Its  ministers  were  sent  for,  and  travelled  to  assist  in 
regulating  churches  in  trouble,  in  the  lower  parts  of  Vir- 
ginia and  even  to  the  Carolinas.  Its  influence  was  exert- 
ed with  good  effect  among  the  turbulent  churchmen  of 
Virginia,  and  also  among  the  fleecing  Pedobaptists  of  New- 
England.  It  being  the  oldest  institution  of  the  kind  in 
America,  was  looked  up  to  as  a  pattern>.of  imitation  by 
those  which  succeeded,  and  by  it  were  given  rules,  and 
even  doctrine,  to  many  and  indeed  most  of  the  first  Asso- 
ciations in  the  southern  and  western  States.  This  body 
has  long  maintained  a  correspondence  wath  her  sister  com- 
munities in  both  extremes  of  the  Uniop^  with  a  number  in 
England,  and  lately  with  the  brethren  in  India. 

In  it  originated  the  design  for  the  Rhode- Island  College, 
and  by  it  have  been  projected  many  other  plans,  which  had 
particularly  in  view  the  welfare  of  the  Baptist  interest  in 


59$  Abington  and  Chemung  Associations. 

America.  It  has  now  been  in  operation  106  years,  and  I 
do  not  find  that  it  was  ever  complained  of  for  infringing  on 
the  independency  of  any  church  in  its  connexion,  a  con- 
vincing proof  that  Associations,  when  skilfully  conducted, 
are  altogether  harmless  on  this  point. 

About  200  miles  west  of  Philadelphia,  in  and  near  to  the 
Alleghany  mountains,  are  the  following  churches  belong- 
ing to  the  Baltimore  Association,  viz.  Konoloway,  Side- 
iing-Hill,  Huntington  and  Tuscarora- Valley. 

in  the  county  of  Luzerne,  near  the  line  of  New- York, 
on  the  Susquehannah  Ri\er,  a  small  Association  was  form- 
ed in  1807  by  the  name  of 

ABINGTON.  • 

Its  churches,  in  1811,  were  only  three  in  number;  its 
ministers  were  William  Purdy,  Elijah  Peck,  John  Miller, 
and  Samuel  Sturdivant,  and  its  total  number  of  members 
about  250. 

chemuj>:g  associatiow. 

This  body  is  situated  in  a  region  settled  mostly  since 
the  last  war  in  Pennsylvania  and  New-York.  The  churches 
in  Pennsylvania  are  in  the  counties  of  Luzerne,  Northum- 
berland and  Lvcomina^.  Those  in  New- York  are  in  the 
adjoining  parts,  the  counties  are  not  known.  It  was  formed 
of  five  churches,  viz.  Chemung,  Romulus,  Fredericktown, 
New- Bedford,  and  Brantrim,  in  1796.  Its  principal  min- 
isters appear  to  be  Roswell  Goft"  and  Thomas  Smiley. 
The  oldest  church,  and  the  mother  of  a  number  of  the  rest, 
is  the  one  called  Chemung,  which  was  founded  in  1791, 
in  the  following  manner.  Soon  after  the  war,  Mr.  Eben- 
ezer  Green  and  others  from  the  Warwick  church  in  New- 
York,  settled  on  the  west  branch  of  the  Susquehannah,  at 
a  place  calKd  the  Black-hole.  There  they  kept  up  a 
meeting  till  they  were  visited  by  James  Finn,  w!io  baptiz- 
ed some  among  them.  Being  disappointed  about  their 
lands,  they  soon  removed  in  a  body  to  the  Chemung  Flats, 
then  just  beginning  to  be  settled.  Here  they  were  soon 
jcnned  by  many  others  from  difterent  parts,  among-  whom 
v\as  Mr.  Roswell  Goff,  who  began  to  preach  among  them, 


Account  ofRcU.  Mr.  Smiley,  597 

and  under  whose  ministry  they  were  gathered  into  a  church 
at  the  time  above  mentioned.  Mr.  GofF  was  born  in 
Spencertown,  New-York,  in  1763,  and  was  baptized  at 
Deer-Park,  at  the  age  of  25. 

Mr.  Smiley  was  born  in  Dauphin  county,  Pennsylvania, 
May  29,  1759,  was  brought  up  a  Seceder,  a  rigid  sect  of 
Scotch-Presbyterians,  was  baptized  by  James  Finn  iu 
1792,  at  Wyoming.  In  the  contentions  about  lands  in 
this  region,  about  the  year  1800,  Mr.  Smiley,  on  ac- 
count of  having  some  governmental  papers  about  him,  was 
dragged  out  of  his  bed,  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  by  a 
band  of  what  were  called  the  Wild  Yankees,  with  their 
faces  blacked,  and  who,  with  pistols  at  his  breast,  compell- 
ed him  first  to  burn  his  papers,  and  then  tarred  and  feathered 
him.  Besides  this  they  threatened  his  life  on  account  of  his 
adhering  to  the  Pennsylvania  side,  which  led  him  to  flee  for 
safety  to  White  Deer  Valley,  on  the  west  branch  of  the 
Susquehannah,  now  in  the  county  of  Northumberland. 
Here  he  founded  a  church  in  1808,  over  which  he  still 
presides,  but  travels  much  as  a  missionary  in  the  surround- 
ing parts  under  the  patronage  of  the  Philadelphia  Asso- 
ciation. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  this  Association  is  a  large 
church  founded  by  Elder  Jacob  Drake,  from  Canaan, 
New- York,  in  1796.  They  have  betome  large  and  are 
scattered  along  the  Susquehannah  River  to  the  distance  of 
many  miles.  They  have  three  Elders,  whose  names  are 
David  Dimock,  Griffin  Lewis,  and  Joel  Rogers.  They 
hold  church  meetings  in  eight  different  places  every 
month.  Their  number  of  communicants  is  not  stated, 
but  it  must  probably  amount  to  three  hundred.  They 
are  said  by  their  neighbours  to  be  Arminians  in  every 
point  of  doctrine,  except  that  of  falling  from  grace.  Their 
own  account  of  their  sentiments  is  as  follows  :  *'  The  Ar- 
minian  principles  we  deny,  believing  salvation  to  be  whol- 
ly and  totally  by  grace  ; — on  the  other  hand,  we  deny  par- 
ticular election,  and  special  vocation,"  &c.  The  reader 
must  judge  for  himself  how  much  these  brethren  have 
mended  the  matter. 


59S  Redstone  Association. 


THE    RED    STONE    ASSOCIATION 

Was  organized  in  1776.  It  is  situated  in  the  western 
part  of  this  State,  adjoining  Ohio.  Some  few  of  its 
churches  are  in  that  State,  and  others  are  in  Virginia.  The 
centre  of  the  Association  is  no  great  distance  south  of  Pitts- 
burg. One  of  its  oldest  churches  was  gathered  in  1770, 
under  the  ministry  of  Elder  John  Sutton.  It  was  at  first 
called  Great  Bethel,  now  Uniontown,  and  is  upv/ards  of 
50  miles  south  of  Pittsburg,  in  the  county  of  Fayette. 
This  church  was  the  mother  of  many  others,  which  arose 
around  it.  Mr.  Sutton  was  a  native  of  New- Jersey,  and 
was  one  of  five  brothers,  who  were  Baptist  preachers. 
He  settled  in  the  Red-stone  country,  when  it  was  in  a  wil- 
derness state,  and  was  long  a  laborious  and  much  respected 
preacher  throughout  an  extensive  circle  of  churches,  which 
were  planted  either  wholly  or  in  part  by  his  means.  The 
time  of  his  death  is  not  known,  but  it  is  believed  to  have 
been  not  far  from  the  year  1800. 

Cotemporary  with  this  evangelical  servant  of  God,  was 
the  pious  and  successful  John  Corbly,  who  was  made  to 
drink  deep  of  the  cup  of  affliction.  Mr.  Corbly  was  a  na- 
tive of  Ireland,  and  while  young  agreed  to  serve  four  years 
for  his  passage  to  Philadelphia.  After  the  expiration  of 
that  term  he  setded  in  Virginia,  in  or  near  Culpepper  coun- 
ty, where  he  v/as  converted  under  the  ministry  of  the  re- 
nowned James  Ireland.  While  persecution  raged  in  that 
State,  he  was,  among  others,  thrown  into  Culpepper  gaol, 
where  he  remained  a  considerable  time.  This  was,  prob- 
ably, previous  to  1770,  for  about  that  date  he  settled  in 
the  region  now  under  consideration,  and  in  conjunction 
with  Mr.  Sutton,  planted  the  first  churches  in  it.  Mr. 
Corbly  was  probably  educated  a  Catholick,  as  his  first  wife 
was  of  that  persuasion,  and  was  a  thorn  in  his  side  during 
her  life.  After  her  death  he  married  an  amiable  woman 
of  his  own  sentiments,  by  whom  he  had  seven  children, 
four  of  whom  with  their  motlier,  were  taken  from  him  in 
a  barbarous  and  most  afilicting  manner.  The  Indiatis,  at 
that  time,  were  extremely  troublesome  in  this  county,  and 
often  committed  terrible  ravages  among  the  inhabitants. 


Account  of  the  Sufferings  of  Mr.  Corbly,  599 

Mr.  Corbly  and  his  family  set  out  on  a  Lord's  Day 
to  walk  to  meeting,  less  than  half  a  mile  from  his  house. 
After  going  a  short  distance,  it  was  found  that  his  Bible, 
which  had  been  given  to  his  wife,  had  been  forgotten, 
which  obliged  him  to  go  back.  On  his  return  to  overtake 
his  family,  he  saw  two  Indians  run,  one  of  whom  gave  a 
direful  yell.  Suspecting  evil  he  ran  to  a  fort  or  block- 
house a  short  distance  off,  and  obtained  assistance.  Wheft 
he  came  to  the  place,  he  found  his  wife  killed  with  a  toma- 
hawk ;  her  infant,  after  having  its  brains  dashed  out 
against  a  tree,  was  thrown  across  her  breast.  Three  other 
children  lay  dead  on  the  spot,  two  more  were  terribly 
wounded,  and  scalped,  and  apparently  dead,  but  afterwards 
recovered.  Only  one  out  of  the  seven  children  remained 
unhurt  ;  she  was  a  little  girl,  an  Indian  caught  hold  of  her 
and  was  about  to  dispatch  her,  but  being  seized  by  a  large 
dog,  she  escaped  and  hid  herself  in  the  bushes.  It  was 
afterwards  ascertained  that  seven  Indians  were  engaged  in 
this  barbarous  transaction.  The  feelings  of  the  bereaved 
husband  and  father  may  better  be  conceived  than  describ- 
ed. For  a  while  he  remained  inconsolable ;  but  reflecting 
on  the  signal  act  of  Providence  in  preserving  his  own  life, 
he  recovered  his  spirits,  recommenced  his  ministerial  la- 
bours, which,  from  excess  of  grief,  were  for  a  time  sus- 
pended, married  a  third  time,  and  continued  a  zealous  and 
successful  minister  till  1805,  when  he  finished  his  course 
in  peace.  One  of  his  sons  is  now  a  Baptist  minister  in 
the  Indiana  Territory. 

Two  other  incidents  befel  this  good  man,  which  were 
peculiarly  distressing  :  The  first  was  the  conduct  of  a  base 
woman,  who  accused  him  of  making  frequent  criminal  pro- 
positions to  her,  which  she  offered  to  confirm  on  oath.  When 
cited  before  a  magistrate,  she  was  taken  with  a  fit  of  trem- 
bling, and  for  some  time  remained  speechless.  Some  were 
for  excusing  the  vile  accuser,  and  letting  the  matter  pass  off; 
but  Mr.  Corbly  insisted  on  her  making  oath — which  she  did,j 
and  expressly  declared,  that  he  was  altogether  innocent,  add  /, 
ing,  at  the  same  time,  that  it  was  a  plot  laid  by  certaiii 
persons,  whom  she  named.  / 

In  the  Whiskey  Insurrection,  so  called,  Mr.  Corbly  v  /as 
suspected  of  aiding  and  abetting  the  insurgents,  and  on 
that  suspicion  was  suddenly  arrested,  carried  to  Phila  del^ 


6.00  Account  of  the  Beulah  Church. 

phia,  conducted  in  disgrace  through  the  streets,  and  lodg- 
ed in  gaol,  where  he  remained  some  time  in  great  afflic- 
tion. While  there,  he  was  comforted  and  supplied  by 
Dr.  Rogers  and  other  friends  in  the  city.  His  ease  was 
never  tried,  and  of  course  it  was  not  legally  determined 
whether  he  was  accused  falsely  or  not.  In  the  opinion  of 
his  friends  he  by  no  means  deserved  the  treatment  he 
received. 

At  Beidahy  in  the  county  of  Cambria,  in  the  midst  of  the 
Alleghany  mountains,  a  church  was  founded  by  emigrants 
from  Wales  in  1797,  under  the  direction  of  the  late  Mor- 
gan J.  Rees. 

The  original  members  of  this  body  set  sail  from  Mil- 
ford  Haven,  South- Wales,  March  8,  1796,  and  landed  in 
New- York  the  May  following.  They  soon  went  to  Phila- 
delphia, where  they  united  in  church  fellowship  with  a 
number  of  their  countrymen  of  the  Independent  and  Cal~ 
vinistic  Methodist  persuasions.  Their  minister  was  Mr. 
Simon  James.  After  tarrying  in  Philadelphia  a  few 
months,  a  number  ol  the  members  of  this  mixed  commu- 
nion church  removed  about  200  miles  westward,  and  be- 
gan a  settlement,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Beulah, 
hoping  to  experience  the  divine  favour,  which  the  term 
imports.  This  was  in  October,  1796.  Others  of  their 
company  followed  them  the  ensuing  spring,  by  which  time 
the  number  of  Baptists  amounted  to  twenty-four,  who,  be- 
ing dissatisfied  with  their  plan  of  church  building,  in  Au- 
gust, 1797,  separated  from  their  Pedobaptist  brethren,  and 
formed  a  community  of  baptized  believers  only.  Since 
that  time,  they  have  been  visited  by  a  number  of  ministers 
from  their  native  country,  some  preachers  have  also  been 
raised  up  among  them,  but  many  both  of  preachers  and 
inembers,  have  travelled  on  to  the  State  of  Ohio,  where 
they  have  founded  two  or  three  churches.  Thomas  Pow- 
"Cl  settled  in  Licking  county,  Henry  George  at  Ovvl  Creek, 
David  Kimpton  has  lately  gone  to  a  place  in  the  New  Pur* 
chase,  and  settled  near  Wooster,  where  he  has  gathered  a 
church.  Beulah  appears  to  have^becn  a  stopping  place  for 
many  Welsh  brethren,  who  have  removed  to  more  distant 
regions.  The  present  pastor  here  is  Mr.  Timothy  Davis, 
and  besides  him  they  have  t\yo  preachers,  whose  names 


Prcsbyierian  Ministers  baptized.  601 

are  William  Williams  and  John  Jones.     They  sometimes 
preacii  in  Englibh,  but  mostly  in  their  mother  tongue. 

Mr.  Recs  died  among  this  people  in  December,  1804; 
he  had  travelled  much,  not  only  in  his  native  country,  but 
in  England,  France,  and  America.  His  widow  now  lives 
in  Philadelphia. 

Beulah  is  about  80  miles  east  of  the  Redstone  country, 
some  distance  north  of  the  main  road  from  Philadelphia  to 
Pittsburg.  Of  the  remaining  churches  and  ministers  in 
this  Association  but  a  little  information  has  been  obtained. 

Mr.  David  Philips,  pastor  of  Peter's  Creek  church,  is  a 
native  of  Wales,  came  to  America  when  a  child,  lived  in 
Chester  county  in  this  State,  till  36  years  of  age,  when  he 
removed  to  his  present  situation,  and  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Henry  Si)ears,  pastor  of  the  Enon  church,  also  set- 
tled in  this  quarter,  when  it  was  but  a  little  more  than  a 
wilderness.  He  is  a  native  of  Dunmore  county,  Virginia, 
is  of  Dutch  descent,  and  has  a  very  large,  luxuriant  plan- 
tation on  the  Monongahela  river,  about  26  miles  from  Pitts- 
burg. 

The  church  at  Connollsville  on  the  Yohogany  River  was 
founded  in  1796.  Its  principal  promoters  were  two  broth- 
ers by  the  name  of  Trevor,  viz.  Samuel  and  Caleb,  natives 
of  Leicestershire,  England.  Dr.  James  Estep  was  the 
pastor  of  this  church  in  1809  ;  whether  he  still  remains  with 
them  I  have  not  ascertained.  He,  with  others,  proposed 
forwarding  additional  information,  which  has  never  been 
received. 

The  doctrine  of  the  laying-on-of-hands  became  a  subject 
of  dispute  among  the  Redstone  churches  a  number  of  years 
ago,  most  of  them  had,  from  their  beginning,  ,  ractised  the 
rite,  but  some  were  for  making  it  a  term  of  communion  ; 
it  was,  however,  finally  determined,  that  all  should  be  left 
to  act  according  to  their  respective  opinions  on  the  subject. 

A  church  was  formed  in  Pittsburg  in  1812,  which  has 
probably  united  with  the  Association  under  consideration. 
In  that  year  two  Presbyterian  ministers  were  baptized  in 
Washington  county,  and  another  minister  of  the  same  de- 
nomination was  to  be  baptized  soon  after  at  Chenango,  in 
Ohio,  not  far  distant.* 

VOL.  I.  76 

*  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Mag^azine,  vol.  UI.p. 205, 


602      Association  of  Independent  Baptist  Ckurches. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  this  Association,  a  small  collec- 
tion of  churches,  some  of  whom  were  formerly  members  of 
it,  have  formed  a  Confederacy  under  the  name  of  the  Cove- 
nanted Independent  Baptists.  Their  principal  leader  ap- 
pears to  be  Dr.  Thomas  Hersey,  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
who  began  preaching  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  These  churches 
are,  as  they  say,  called  by  some  Semi-Calvinists,  by  others, 
Semi-Arminians.  From  the  best  information  it  appears, 
that  the  principal  difference  between  them  and  the  Red- 
stone Association  turns  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  atonement 
as  stated  by  Gill  and  Fuller.* 

•  Those  who  may  wish  for  a  further  account  of  the  sentiments  of  these 
Independent  Baptists,  may  find  them  expressed  in  a  work,  published  by  Dr. 
Hersey  in  1810,  entitled,  '<  Experimental  Views,"  &c. 


IND  E  X< 


THE  state  of  the  world  at  the  coming  of  Christ,  p.  t. 

First  churches  gathered — Temple  of  Janus,  note — Extent  of  the  Roman 
Empire — Ten  pei-secutions — Christians  falsely  accused  of  burning  Rome  and 
other  crimes,  8 — 10. 

PUny's  letter  to  Trajan,  10—12. 

Constantine  the  Great  embraces  Christianity — the  effects  of  this  event — re- 
flections on  it,  13—14. 

Beginning  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  15.  How  the  Pope  obtained  the  title 
•f  Universal  Bishop,  16. 

Blasphemous  pretensions  of  Gregory  VII.  19. 

Origin  of  the  Monkish  orders,  21.     Celibacy  no  friend  to  virtue,  22. 

Councils,  23.  Crusades,  25.  Indulgencies,  27  Supererogation,  28.  Per- 
secutions of  the  Church  of  Rome,  29. 

Greek  Church,  31—34. 

Protestants,  Luther,  Zuinglius,  Calvin,  Church  of  England  established-^ 
Puritans,  &c.  34 — 43. 

Missions,  Romish — Protestants  of  different  sects,  43 — 45. 

History  of  Baptism-  John's  baptismal  stations — extravagant  honours  paid 
him  by  the  Catholicks,  47. 

Description  of  Jordan  and  Enon,  48,  49.  A  refutation  of  the  criticisms  on 
polla  udata,  49.  Dr.  Guise's  paraphrase,  50.  John,  no'  a  Jewish  priest, 
51,  52.  What  Tertullian  and  Mosheim  say  of  the  ancient  mode  of 
baptism,  52>. 

Catechumen  state,  5S.  How  children  were  first  admitted  to  baptism,  SQ, 
Tertullian  against  it,  57.  Infant  baptism  not  known  in  the  Apostolic  age,  58, 
First  canon  to  enjoin  it,  59. 

Infant  baptism  introduced  into  Europe,  60.  How  it  was  hastened  forward,  61. 

Persons  licensed  to  baptize  dying  infants,  63. 

Pouring  first  allowed  by  Pope  Stephen  III,  65.  Dr.  Wall  against  sprink- 
ling, 66. 

Baptisteries  began  to  be  built,  67.  Description  of  those  at  Constantinople— 
at  Rome.     E.xtract  from  Basil's  discourses,  &c.  68 — 70. 

The  Pope  immerses  three  children,  71.  Many  evidences  in  favour  of 
that  mode,  73. 

Concessions  of  Catholicks— Protestants — Gill's  account  of  dipping  places 
io  Jerusalem — Calvin's  concessions,  and  Campbell's,  74 — 78. 

How  doubtful  words  are  to  be  determined — Dr.  Gale's  definition  of  bapti- 
ze, baptisma,  &c.  Note,  79. 

The  Greeks  understand  their  own  language  best,  they  always  have  im- 
mersed, 79—82. 

The  Catholicks  have  22  ceremonies  in  baptism — Bill  of  fare  at  a  baptism 

A  hundredgod-fathers,  82— 84 

Different  meanings  of  the  word  infant,  85,  86. 

Proselyte  baptism,  88.     Different  modes  of  defending  infant  baptism,    89. 

Principal  objectionsiof  the  Baptists  against  it,  90.  Infant  baptism  a  per- 
plexing study — believer's  baptism  plain,  91. 

The  terms  Baptist  and  Anabaptist  defined,  92. 

Six  sorts  of  Anabaptists,  all  reject  the  term,  93,  94. 

The  first  christians  Baplistis — Council  at  Jerusalem,  95—100. 


604  INDEX. 

Dissenters  from  the  Greek  Church  called  Massalians  and  Cathavl,  101,  2. 
Novatians,  104.     Paterines,  105. 

Waldenses.  A  general  account  of  them,  107 — 123.  Evidences  of  their 
denying  infant  baptism — their  principal  leaders — their  peculiar  sentiments- 
persecutions,  &c.  123—134. 

Baptists  in  Germany,  135.  Moshelm's  string  of  hard  names  against 
them,   137.     They  are  dissatisfied  with    Luther's   pl.an  of  reformation,  139. 

Lutlier  defines  baptism  to  mean  dipping,  140.  Infants  immersed  at  Ham- 
burg, note,  140. 

iVIany  drowned  and  beheaded  for  denying  infant  baptism,  143. 

Menno  Simon,  his  tr.-ivels  and  character,  144—146.  The  progress  of  the 
Mennonites— they  divide  into  different  sects— are  favoured  by  the  Prlnc?  of 
Orange,  147-  An  account  of  the  church  at  Dantzic,  148.  Menno  and  the 
ancient  Mennonites  practise  dipping— since  fallen  off  to  pouring,  150,    151. 

Boliemia.  John  Huss  and  Jerome  of  Prague,  both  destroyed  by  the 
Council  of  Const.ance,  153.  Ziska,  curious  anecdote  of  him,  succeeded  by 
Ppocopius,  ]54,  155.  Tlieir  followers  called  Taborites— are  visited  by 
yEneas  Sylvius,  afterwards  Pope  Pius  II,  156. 

The  I7?ittus  Fratnnn,  arise  out  of  tlie  Taborites,  157.  Waklenses  or  Pi- 
cards  settle  in  Bohemia,  158.  What  tiie  Emperor  Maximilian  said  of 
them,  note,  159. 

The  Baptists  increase  in  Bohemia— tl)e  Polish  Baptists  visit  them,  160. 

A  general  account  of  the  number  and  banisliinent  of  tlie  Moravian  Baptists, 
161---165.  A  letter  from  Bohemia  to  Erasmus,  describing  a  people  like  the 
modern  Baptists,  166. 

Poland.  The  Waklenses  settle  in  It,  167.  The  Pinckzovian  society 
formed,  169  Tliey  were  all  .\nti-pedobaptists,  but  not  all  Baptists,  170. 
'They  were  dispersed,  and  the  Racovian  society  formed,  whi",h  prevailed  mucli 
lor  a  time,  172—174.  Socinus  received  among  them,  some  scholars  stone  a 
crucifix,  wliich  involves  the  whole  community  in  calamity  and  ruin,  176.  The 
Polish  Baptists  are  dispersed  in  difierent  parts  of  Europe— -general  observa- 
tions on  their  sentiments,   177—180. 

Tran.tyl-vania.  Davidis,  Blandratta,  Somer,  Palxologus,  settle  in  it,  18!. 
Baptists  prevail  greatly,  but  are  soon  infected  with  Socinianism,  and  great 
men  lead  tiiem  into  errors  and  snares,  182,    183 

Accounts  of  Bernard  Ochin,  Stanlius  Lutomirski,  Michael  Servetus,  and 
Andrew  Dudith,   184—188. 

Englitml.  Baptists  divided  into  General  and  Particular,  189.  Christianity 
planted  in  Britain,  60  years  after  Clirist's  ascension— an  account  of  St.  Austin's 
visiting  England,  190'.  Tlie  first  British  christiar.s  Baptists,  191.  Wickliff 
began  to  l)e  liimous  in  England— strong  evidences  tliat  he  became  a  Baptist, 
192.  William  Sawtre,  supposed  to  be  a  Baptist,  the  first  English  martyr— 
The  LoUards  terribly  persecuted,  193.  George  Van  Pare  and  Joan  of  Kent, 
and  many  otiiers  burnt  for  heresy,  194,  195.  Edward  Wightman  the  last 
m.in  put  to  death  in  England  for  heresv,  196.  Baptist  cliurches  began  to  be 
founded  in  England,  197,    198. 

The  General  Assembly  publish  a  Confession  of  Faith,  200.  Mr.  Baxter's 
nstoni=liing  charges  against  the  Baptists— Booth's  reflections  upon  them— 
Samuel  Gates  indicted  for  murder,  201—3.  John  Bunyan  imprisoned--- 
Vcnner's  insurrection,  204.  Ministers  ejected  by  the  Act  of  Uniformity,  205. 
England  visted  with  famine,  plague,  and  fire— A  piece  published,  entitled, 
Baxter  baptized  in  blood,  206.  Summary  view  of  t!ie  persecutions  of  the 
Baptists  in  England,  207—11.  Some  of  the  most  distinguished  men  among 
the  English  Baptists.  William  Kifiin,  Gen.  Harrison,  Col.  Hutchinson,  Ben- 
jamin K>ach,  Dr.  Gill,  and  others,  211—16.  Jeremiah  Ives  disputes  with  a 
Roniish  Priest— an  anecdote  of  an  Irisli  minister,  217.  Controversies  about 
I,a-;ing-on.of-hands,  and  singing  in  pnblick,  218,  19.  Bristol  Academy- 
Northern  Education  Society.'and  Stepney  Green  Academy,  220—23.  Seven 
Associations  of  Particular  Bapti'its,  224. 

General   Baptists,  224—2". 


INKEX,  605 

Wales.  Two  large  Baptist  societies  in  ancient  times  at  Bangor  and  Cear- 
Leon,  228;.     The  Principality  a  fruitful  inu-«cry  of  Baptists,  229. 

Ireland.     The  native  place  of  Tiioroas  Delaune,  2j1- 

Scotland.     Brief  account  of  Baptists  in  it,  231 — J4. 

India  Mission — general  account  of  it,  234 — 46. 

Munster  affair,  with  its  causes,  progress,  &c.  246—65. 

Epoch  First.  General  account  of  the  settlement  of  America,  267.  The 
religious  character  of  the  settlers  of  each  State,  268.  The  New-England 
people  strenuous  for  their  i-eligious  taxes,  269,  70.  The  Half-way  Cove- 
nant, 271.  The  Witchcraft  affair,  272  Dates  of  tl^  first  Baptist  ckurches, 
27:i. 

Epoch  Second.    Philadelphia  Association  formed,  273. 

Epoch  Third.     Brief  account  of  the  New-Light  Stir,  274. 

Winchester  and  a  number  of  others  embrace  the  principles  of  Universal 
Restoration,  275. 

Epoch  Fourth.     Asphmd's  Register,  276. 

No'ca  Scotia  and  Neiu-Brunsivick.  Nathan  T>.ason  and  company  from 
Swansea  settle  in  it,  279.  Account  of  Henry  Alline  and  his  disciples,  283-85. 
Account  of  David  George,  287—95.  The  Nova-Scotia  Association  renounces 
open  communion,  30&. 

District  of  Maine.     Mr.  Merril  and  his  church  become  Baptists,  311. 

New -Hampshire.  First  church  in  it  formed  at  Newtown,  316.  Mrs. 
Scammon,  317,    18. 

Vermo)it.  Tlie  oldest  church  in  Shaftsbury,  333.  Dispute  about  Mason- 
ry, 340.     The  ecclesiastical  establishment  abolished,  352. 

Massachusetts.  Some  Baptists  among  the  first  settlers,  354.  Mr.  Chauncey 
■for  dipping  children,  357.  Law  against  the  Baptists,  reflections  upon  it, 
359,  60.  Cotton,  Cobbet,  and  Ward,  charge  the  devil  with  helping  the 
Baptists  to  argument  against  infant  baptism,  362,    63. 

Clark,  Holmes,  and  Crandal  apprehended,  365.  Various  accounts  of  them, 
and  of  the  whipping  of  Mr.  Holmes,  366—78. 

Sir  Richard  Saltonstall's  letter  to  Mr.  Cotton  and  Wilson,  376.  Mr.  Cot- 
ton's answer,  377. 

President  Dunster  embraces  Baptist  principles,  379. 

The  number  of  Associations  in  Massachusetts,  382. 

First  Church  in  Boston.     Thomas  Gould's  account  of  himself,  385—90. 

A  singular  publick  dispute— Mr.  Mitchell's  terrible  sentence  against  the 
Baptists,  391,    92. 

The  Quakers  beat  an  English  Bisliop  in  argument,  note,  392. 

Singular  Act  of  the  Massachusetts  Assembly  against  Thomas  Gould, 
William  Turner,  &c.  393. 

Mr.  Moscall's  excellent  letter  against  persecution,  394—97. 

Meeting-house  doors  nailed  up,  400. 

Mr.  HoUis'  donations  to  Cambridge  College,  note,  402. 

Second  Church  in  Boston,  406. 

Third  Church,  do.         411.     African  Church,  412. 

Charlestown  Church,  413.  Haverhill,  do.  and  Dr.  Smith,  416-19.  Salera 
do.  419. 

First  church  in  Swansea,  423.       Second  do.  427. 

Sturbridge  church  greatly  harassed  for  ministerial  taxes,    433. 

The  Baptists  in  Ashfieldand  Montague  greatly  distressed  for  taxes,  435S6. 

Cheshire  Churches— John  Leland— Mammoth  Cheese,  438 — 40. 

A  brief  view  of  the  religious  laws  of  Massachusetts,  441 — 51. 
Ehode  Island.     The  cause  of  Roger  Williams'  banishment,    454— his  first 
deed  from  the  Indians,  455. 

The  island  settled  by  John  Clark  and  others,  458. 

Samuel  Gorton  and  company  treated  in  a  most  scandalous  manner,  460-62. 
Mr.  Williams  obtains  a  charter,  463 — Second  do.  464. 
A  letter  from  some  Massachusetts  minister.^  to  the*  people  of  Providence, 
467.     Answer  to  it,  469 

First  Church  in  Providence,  473— SS. 


606  INDEX. 

Brown  and  Jenks'  famlUes,  491—94. 

Newport  churches,  495 — 502. 

Account  of  a  general  Convention  or  Association,  507.  Warren  AssociA'* 
tion,  508 

Dp  Worcester's  description  of  Rhode -Island,  510.  Remarks  upon  it,  511-13. 

Account  of  Cotton  Factories,  note,  517. 

The  number  and  character  of  the  Governors  of  Rhode-Island,    note,    518, 

Connecticut.    Valentine  Wightman  settles  in  it,  519.      His  character,    522. 

Religious  laws  of  Connecticut,  SoZ. 

A  judge  inquires  how  long  a  Baptist,  &c.  must  stay  at  home  to  become  a 
Presbyterian,   534, 

Nev:  Tork.     Churches  in  the  city,  526 — 42. 

Upper  Canada,  560. 

New-Jersey.     Some  Baptists  among  the  first  settlers,  551. 

Middleton  church  the  oldest  in  tlie  State,   562. 

Nathaniel  Jenkins  opposes  a  persecuting  measure,    570. 

History  of  the  Stouts,   57^. 

Infant  baptism  condemned  in  a  court  of  law,   note,    578. 

Pennsylvania.  Pennepek  Or  Lower  Dublin  chui-ch,  580,  Ellas  Keach 
attempts  to  preach  in  sport,  and  is  converted,    581. 

Pliiladelphia  churches,  584—93. 

Description  of  the  S.-insom-Street  Meeting-house,  note,  593. 

Philadelphia  Association,  595. 

Mr.  Corbly's  family  murdered  by  the  Indians,  599. 

The  Beulah  church  founded  by  a  company  of  Welsh  Baptists,  600. 

Two  Presbyterian  ministers  baptized  near  Pittsburg,  601. 

Dr.  Thomas  Hersey  and  the  Independent  Covenanted  Baptists,  602. 


ERRATA. 

PAGE 

For  assembled  rea</ resembled,  23 

For  deputed,  read  di.sputed.  24 
For  Wicklifi",  the  morning  of  the  Reformation,  read  morning  ttar,  8cc.      35 

For  fame,  reflt/ force.  43 

For  reasons,  read  seasons.  54 

For  mostly,  read  most.  56 

Foi-  Turlupius,  rfflf/Turlupins,  118 

For  could  not  be  easy,  read  could  not  die  easy.  136 

For  herycenian,  read  hercynian.  161 

For  cavinist,  read  calvinist.  ib. 

For  commonly  Gonesius,  reac/ commonly  called  Goneslus.  171 

For  scriptural,  read  perpetual.  175 

For  friar  Mennonites,  read  friar  Minorites.  ib.- 

For  1311,  read  1371                                                    '  ib. 

For  and  more  than  high-way  murderers,  read  any  more,  S;c,  202 

For  iMS(U'rection,  read  insurrections.  246 

For  balance,  read  blame  in  a  part  of  the  copies.  260 

For  were,  read  wear.  289 

p-or  south-east,  read  north-east.  314 

For  deceivers,  read  deceiver.  363 
In  a  note  instead  of  subject /or,  read  subject  o/'thc  ordaining,  S;c.    And 

for  constantly y  read  certainly  i?e-ordainers,  409 


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