USA > Connecticut > New London County > Groton > Groton, Conn. 1705-1905 > Part 13
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Mr. Miner entered upon the pastorate April 1, 1851. Doubts of the orthodoxy of his views were entertained by some from the beginning. The church, having passed through many trying experiences, had come to entertain radical views of moral questions. The subjects of tem- perance and of slavery were live issues and on both the lines were sharply drawn. The position of the church on the former question had become well established, but on the
* Judge Potter's manuscript.
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latter discussion was bitter and prolonged. Nowhere was there more outspoken condemnation of the sin of slavery, or more appreciation of the blessings of freedom than in this old church that for one hundred and fifty years had stood so valiantly for soul liberty. But in the discussion Mr. Miner's orthodoxy became an issue, and not only the church but the community as well took sides for or against him.
In explanation of its views the church sent a letter to the Stonington Union Association in 1853. This was re- ferred to a committee which reported adversely on some points of the letter and recommended the appointment of a committee to visit the church and obtain further informa- tion as to its beliefs. To this committee the church replied that "the New Hampshire confession and their letter to the Association in the main expressed their views."
This was deemed inexplicit and unsatisfactory and a minority of the church joined with the committee in calling a council, which the majority refused to recognize. This council recommended that the minority be recognized as the church and the committee so reported to the next meet- ing of the Association, which accepted the report and adopted the recommendation. The report of the council was as follows: "That we recognize those eleven brethren and nineteen sisters, who have stood upon the platform on which the church was organized and whose names are at- tached to a document pledging themselves still to abide by the old articles of faith as the First Baptist Church of Groton, and hereby extend fellowship to them as such."
The committee reported: "In view of this action of said council and the fact that no change for the better has taken place in the views of these brethren, who have left the old platform and have discarded all articles of faith, your committee recommend that the Association adopt the fol- lowing resolution: Resolved, That this Association approve the doings of a council called by a committee appointed by this Association to visit and labor with the First Baptist Church of Groton, together with brethren connected wit !!
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said church, and held in the meeting house of said church on the 22nd of February, 1854, and that this Association recognize those brethren and sisters recognized by said committee as the First Baptist Church of Groton."*
There are no statistics given for this church in the As- sociation minutes for 1854, but in those of 1855 the mem- bership is given as thirty-one as against one hundred and seventy-three in 1853. Mr. Miner, who had never united with the church, removed from the village as soon as the trouble became acute and for several years the church had no settled pastor, Rev. S. S. Griswold serving as supply.
A peculiar state of affairs existed. The small body recog- nized by the Association as the church felt called upon to pay off an existing church debt of over three hundred dollars, but they were left without a place of worship, the meeting house, together with the funds belonging to the church, remaining in the hands of the majority party. For a time they existed as two bands, though the fraternal spirit was never entirely extinguished, and overtures were made at different times by both parties, but without avail, until in the spring of 1857 a proposition was made by the majority party to unite upon the New Hampshire Con- fession.
The invitation was in these words :** "'We would es- pecially invite the brethren formerly connected with us, who have been separated since the action of a council called by them, to join with (us) on this ground.' The prompt reply was: 'Having considered these propositions it was unanimously voted to accept them and to reorganize and to fellowship our former brethren who made them.' The details were easily managed and the two bands came to- gether, the clerk of each body recording its acts in the same book, which was then placed on file and the records of the reunited body opened in a new book with new officers.
"The first act of the reunited church was to call the Rev. John E. Wood to the pastorate. He had been active in the
* Minutes of the Stonington Union Association, 1854.
Judge Potter's Manuscript.
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work of restoring harmony in the church and he accepted the call on condition that it was ratified by an ecclesiastical council. Six of the neighboring churches convened at the call of the church. Rev. Erastus Denison acted as moder- ator and Rev. Isaac Chesebrough as clerk. The council approved of the reunion and installed Mr. Wood in true Puritanic style, the venerable Asa Bronson of Fall River preaching the sermon from Acts X, 33. A letter was pre- pared for the Association and the delegates were instructed to present it on condition that its former vote be rescinded in so far as it disfellowshipped a majority of the church. The Association joyfully complied with the conditions and the restoration was complete.
"Brotherly love has abounded in this church as never before. The agitation and discussion of cardinal doctrines has confirmed its membership in the faith, and their tem- porary alienation has resulted in a greater deference for each other's opinion and a pleasing courtesy in their inter- course with each other."
Mr. Wood's pastorate continued for three years and seven months. A revival in the spring of 1858 added eleven to the church by baptism. Mr. Wood was an ardent sup- porter of the Sunday school and it was during his pastorate that the Sunday School Convention of the Stonington Union Association was organized in 1858, the first meeting being held in this church. In a letter to the Association in 1859 the church mentions the death of Sister Sally Gallup, widow of James Gallup of Ledyard, who bequeathed her property, amounting to thirteen hundred dollars, to the church to be invested as a fund, the income to be appropriated to the support of the Gospel ministry. Mr. Wood closed his pastoral relation with the church November 1, 1860.
Rev. Erastus. Denison supplied the pulpit during the winter and until the first Sunday in April 1861, when Rev. Edgar A. Hewett was installed as pastor. He came to the church in the vigor of young manhood with brilliant pros- pects before him, a united church gave him most hearty support, and the outbreak of the Civil War, which occurred
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just at the opening of his pastorate, chastened the people and seemed to turn their minds to the subject of religion. The board of the Connecticut Baptist Convention in 1862 says: "Among all the tumult of war, the Prince of Peace has been achieving triumphs. In various quarters we have been visited with precious tokens of God's favor."* The church in the lower village enjoyed a marked revival but this church received no impulse, and after a disappointing ministry of three years, Mr. Hewett resigned a pastorate. which had been barren of results.
Again Rev. Erastus Denison supplied the pulpit until the first Sunday in June 1861. On the 5th of June he preached a notable sermon on the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination by this church. On the next Sunday, June 12th, commenced the pastorate of Rev. Palmer G. Wightman, one of the most successful in the history of the church. A grandson of Rev. John G. Wightman and a licentiate of this church, he seemed peculiarly fitted by heredity and by training for the position he was called upon to fill. From the beginning of his ministry tokens of divine approbation were apparent, but during the winter of 1865-6 the church experienced the most powerful revival in its history.
From the first Sunday in December 1865 to the end of the winter, meetings were held every evening. The Rev. Jabez S. Swan assisted the pastor, preaching at least one evening in the week, and sometimes five evenings in succession. Rev. Joseph C. Wightman also assisted his brother, preach- ing with great acceptance. With a single exception, when the inclemency of the weather forbade, every Sunday in the winter, after the meetings began, witnessed baptisms. Seventy-four received the right hand of fellowship on the first Sunday in February 1866, and in all over one hundred were added to the church. The movement reached all classes in the community. Children of tender age, staunch business men, whole Sunday school classes, and some whole families were converted.
This large addition at once proved the inadequacy of the * History of the Connecticut Baptist Convention, Hartford, 1909.
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church edifice. Besides being too small the proprietary ownership of pews was not flexible enough to provide for such an influx. It was at first thought that, by transferring all the pews to the church and rearranging the sittings, all might be accommodated, but in the progress of the negotia- tions it became evident that the only remedy for existing troubles was a new building, and the following building committee was appointed: Deacon James C. Lamb and Brethren Amos B. Taylor, Charles P. Chipman, Nehemiah M. Gallup and Simeon Gallup, and the church proceeded with the erection of the fourth house of worship. The old house was removed and the new one was erected upon the same site, a plain substantial house in modern style con- taining eighty-four pews, with a tower and spire in front, the latter containing an excellent bell and also the village clock, the gift of John S. Schoonover, Esq.
The house was dedicated October 1, 1867, Rev. Joseph C. Wightman of East Cambridge, Mass., preaching the sermon from the text in Psalms LXXXVII, 2: "God loveth the gates of Zion more than the dwellings of Jacob." Rev. Jabez S. Swan and Rev. C. B. Crane, D. D., also took part in the service. The cost of the house was $13,000, of which amount $10,000 was raised at the time of building, leaving a debt of $3,000 upon the society, but it now had a house which was its own property and was free to provide for the raising of its current expenses in any manner that it deemed proper.
"In 1867 Thomas H. Vincent joined by letter from West- erly and was invited to continue in the office of deacon, which he had held in the church from which he came. Allan Stevenson, Nehemiah M. Gallup and Benjamin B. Hewitt were chosen deacons in 1872." **
In June of that year the Stonington Union Association held its one-hundredth anniversary with this church. Rev. A. G. Palmer, D. D., preached the centennial sermon and Rev. Thomas Armitage, D. D., delivered an address on the important influence and standing of the Baptist denomin-
First Baptist Church of Groton, Gallup, p. 29.
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ation. Both sermons were printed and received wide at- tention. In 1876 Mr. Wightman resigned the pastorate after twelve years' service, the most momentous twelve years in the history of the church.
The church had prospered materially and spiritually and Rev. Eli Dewhurst, who succeeded Mr. Wightman in 1876, found a united and happy people. During his pastorate the debt remaining upon the new house was paid. Mr. Dew- hurst resigned in August 1881 and the church ordained his successor, John Richardson, whose stay was short- about one year, but during that year a revival added sev- enteen to the church by baptism.
Mr. Richardson was followed in July 1883 by Rev. Homer A. King. He remained with the church but a little more than a year, being succeeded in January 1885 by Rev. A. J. Wilcox, who in turn in September of the same year was followed by Rev. A. J. Chandler. "With him the church enjoyed a good degree of peace and prosperity. An important revival season was experienced in which additions were made to the church, and it was greatly quickened in spiritual thought and life. Mr. Chandler was assisted at that time by Evangelist Rev. O. D. Thomas of Brockton, Mass."*
During this pastorate the interior of the house of worship was changed to provide separate rooms for social and con- ference meetings, thus making the house better adapted to church work. In 1887 the church chose three additional deacons, Simeon Gallup, William H. Lamphere and Amos D. Turner. In 1895 Mr. Chandler resigned the pastorate, though he did not sever his connection with the church.
In November of that year Rev. Dryden W. Phelps was called to the pastorate; he continued with the church al out three and one-half years. Sister Julia A. Langworthy left to the church in 1899 the sum of one thousand dollars. In December of that year Rev. Henry W. Wilson came to the church as its twentieth pastor. The work opened with bright promise, but his ministry was terminated by his
* First Baptist Church of Groton, Gallup, p. 31.
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sudden death June 5, 1902. Rev. Herbert B. Hutchins suc- ceeded him and remains as pastor at this date (1905). During the present year the church celebrated its two- hundredth anniversary with appropriate exercises.
CHAPTER VIII
SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH
T HE GREAT AWAKENING and New Light Movement occasioned by the preaching of Whitefield, Tennant and others resulted in the formation of numerous Separ- ate Congregational churches. One of these churches was located in Groton, just west of Pequonnoc. Elder Parke Avery was pastor and one of its members was Amos Burrows, fourth in line of descent from Robert Burrows, one of the earliest settlers in Groton. He was authorized by his brethren to "improve his gift,"* which he did in a modest way. His oldest son, Amos, was a licensed Bap- tist preacher and his second son, Silas, embraced the Baptist faith and became the first settled pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Groton.
This interest was the outcome of revival services held by Rev. Gamaliel Reynolds, a Separate preacher from Norwich, about the year 1761, resulting in the organization of a small church at Fort Hill in 1765. This church in 1767 called one of their number-Silas Burrows-to be their pastor, and set him apart by ordination in that year, at the same time ordaining Simeon Smith to be a deacon.
The early records of this church are scattered, and such fragments as we have come to us from traditional sources, memories of old people living at the time when the records were made. Rev. William H. Randall in the "Union Bap- tist Church Manual" issued in 1870 says: "It is not possible to follow minutely here the history of the Second or Fort Hill Church, as it was called for many years. The memory is still cherished of some of their revival seasons, and the
*: Sprague's Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. VI, p. 107.
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actors in them." Judge William H. Potter thus writes of Rev. Silas Burrows :* "He did not pretend to much learning, but he had considerable piety, ardent zeal, and a well- balanced mind; and considerable success attended his labors. There was need of great energy to overcome the opposition which at once beset the new enterprise on all sides. There were churches of Congregationalists, Sep- arates and stricter Baptists around him, who confidently predicted that the movement would prove a failure; while Infidelity was taking the attitude of open and stern re- sistance. Still, however, their numbers gradually increased and they were constantly encouraged by fresh tokens of the Master's presence.
"The stirring times of the Revolution were approaching, and, like his Baptist brethren elsewhere, Elder Burrows at once boldly espoused the cause of freedom, and saw in that struggle not only the political enfranchisement of the land, but a boon which to him and his oppressed people was still dearer,-freedom to worship God independently of the Civil Power. It is true that the Baptists of Groton were shielded from many embarrassments and annoyances to which their brethren in some places were subjected; but it was rather through the magnanimity of the Congregational ministry than the protection of the law.
"Perhaps, in no portion of our country was the patriotism of the people more severely tested during the War of the Revolution than in Groton. On that eventful morning when Fort Griswold was captured by the British, in sight of his residence, and forty-two wives became widows in one day, Elder Burrows was neither indifferent nor inactive. He rushed to the fort to ascertain the fate of his two youthful brothers,-both of whom were members of his household. He found only the hat of one of them. The appalling sight of sixty of his neighbors lying dead in their gore, and thirty others mortally or very dangerously wounded, from the youth of fifteen to the man of gray hairs, cannot be even faintly portrayed.
* Sprague's Annals, Vol. VI, p. 107.
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"Elder Burrows did what he could in this trying hour to comfort the mourner, to soothe the wounded, and to point the dying patriot to the Lamb of God. His minis- trations in connection with this appalling scene did much to conciliate the favor of the community, not only toward himself but toward the church of which he had the charge.
"Indeed, this seems to have been the providential prep- aration for that extensive revival of religion which fol- lowed the next year, the memory of which has come down to us, fragrant with the blessings of many an aged saint who in our day has delighted to detail its glorious results. Meanwhile, his brothers returned to his house, from their weary captivity and confinement in the prison-ship of the enemy, to communicate the small-pox to his family. He removed his wife to a place of safety and opened his dwell- ing as a hospital, where, although many had the disease, but one person died of it.
"During the revival of 1782-83 several of his children were gathered into the church, and among them Daniel and Roswell, who afterwards became preachers. Daniel sub- sequently united with the Methodists and represented his native State in Congress, where, without compromising his character as a servant of God, he faithfully served his country. He died in his native town in 1858.
"The borders of Elder Burrows's church and congrega- tion now became so much extended that they found private houses no longer large enough to accommodate the people.
"The pastor's own house had been enlarged and opened expressly for their Sabbath meetings ; but they now resolved to build a meeting house on land given for the purpose by their pastor. This edifice was soon so far advanced as to make it suitable for public assemblies, though it was many years before it was completed.
"Soon after its erection the Groton Conference was or- ganized in it. This body, which was composed of a score of churches of the same faith and order, was especially dear to Elder Burrows, who ever bore a chief part in its deliberations, until, some twenty years later, it united with
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another similar body in forming the Stonington Union Association, which, in turn, held its first session in the same house. In these meetings, the ever watchful eye and warm heart of Father Burrows were felt, in guarding the independency of the churches, checking unholy innova- tions, cherishing their own mode of worship and form of doctrine, and binding together, in the bonds of love, the then feeble sisterhood of Baptist churches.
"It would be pleasant to recall the names of the godly ministers who labored with him, and with whom he was most intimate. Elders Zadoc Darrow of Waterford, Jason Lee of Lyme, Peter Rogers of Bozrah, Samuel West of New London; and subsequently Asa Wilcox of Lyme, John Sterry of Norwich, Joseph Utley of Hartford, in his own State; and William Northup, Philip Jenkins and Josiah Wilcox of Rhode Island, were members of the same old Groton Conference of which Elder Burrows was regarded as the father. Then, in the Stonington Association, were the Wightmans, the Palmers, the Miners and the Browns, with others,-a noble brotherhood, with whom he took sweet counsel, in a day when without salaries, but not without great sacrifices, these men of God laid the founda- tion of that prosperity in Zion which few of their number lived to see, but which we so richly enjoy.
"The most considerable revival which occurred under Father Burrows's ministry, whether we regard its number of converts or the period of its continuance, began in January, 1809, and continued eighteen months. After the church had spent a day in fasting and prayer, Father Bur- rows and his son, who was at that time assistant pastor, ac- companied by their deacons, commenced visiting from house to house, and holding more frequent meetings in all parts of their parish, and in adjoining towns, as the Providence of God opened the way. While the son was preaching one night, the mighty power of God came down, and souls were born into the Kingdom, almost constantly, for many months. One-hundred and thirty were baptized into Father Bur- rows's church and a large number into Elder Wightman's
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The servant of God, though aged, continued to preach within a few weeks of his death, which did not occur till he had lived to see his church flourishing and to witness the consummation of his long-cherished hopes and earnest endeavors,-the adoption of a Constitution in Connecticut securing equal religious privileges to all. Soon after this joyful event, feeling that his warfare was accomplished, he sweetly fell asleep in Jesus, on his birthday, in 1818.
"Elder Silas Burrows was a man of marked character. He was energetic and did nothing by halves. He was not hasty in forming opinions, nor did he claim infallibility for them when formed. But he brought all things to the Scrip- ture test, and if, upon a candid and careful examination, any one's conduct or views could not be there sustained, he rejected them without hesitation; and if occasion re- quired, he openly exposed their fallacy.
"A striking instance of this occurred in reference to Jemima Wilkinson, who requested liberty to preach in his house, claiming a newer light than had been vouchsafed to others. Not being then aware of her extravagant views, he appointed a meeting for her, at which she boldly and blasphemously set forth her fanatical claims. He heard her through, and then, with the law and the testimony in his hands, he proceeded to unmask her imposture, quoting chapter and verse against her extravagant pretentions, till she could bear it no longer but, interrupting him, said in a loud, imperious voice, accompanied by a majestic wave of her hand: 'Silas Burrows, dost thou know with whom thou art contending?' 'Oh, yes,' said he, 'with Jemima Wilkinson ;' and proceeded to urge home the truth of God against her fanaticism, till she left his presence never to trouble him again.
"In preaching he placed great reliance on the sensible presence of his Master, and, sometimes, when his feelings were warmed and quickened by a powerful Divine influence, he delivered himself with an energy and pathos that were quite irresistible. But his forte, after all, was in prayer. Commencing in simple and trusting strains, he would
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raise his heart, his eyes, his voice and his right hand to Heaven, while his left hand crowned his temple, and, as one object of supplication after another presented itself, it seemed not only to himself but to those who listened as if Heaven and earth had come in actual contact. We hardly need add that the tone of his preaching was clearly and decidedly evangelical. He was eminently faithful in re- proving vice, in visiting the sick and sorrowful, and indeed in every department of pastoral duty.
"In person he was tall and commanding, and had a mild blue eye and a stentorian voice, that was, on more than one occasion, distinctly heard in the open air more than a mile."
The meeting house on Fort Hill was built about 1785, although the property was not deeded to the Second Bap- tist Church until March 5, 1793. "Silas Burrows deeds to Second Baptist Church one-half acre of land on Fort Hill bounded west by highway, north by Heirs Joshua Burrows, east and south by Silas Burrows to be devoted to the im- provement of said Baptist church and their successors forever and to be improved for that purpose and no other by these presents."*
The Groton Conference was organized the same year in which the house was built and held its first session therein. This body brought together the Baptists and Sep- aratists, and until after the year 1797 the Second Church practiced open communion, but in 1817 the Groton Confer- ence united with the Stonington Association, that body taking the name of the Stonington Union Association and the Second Church came in harmony with the Baptist de- nomination on the communion question.
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