USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Rehoboth > The History of Rehoboth, Bristol County, Massachusetts, 1836 > Part 18
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BAPTIST CHURCHES.
" It is probable," says Benedict, [vol. I. p. 429] in speaking of Rehoboth, " that there have been Baptists in this town from about 1650, when Obadiah Holmes* separated from the parish worship ; but no church was gathered in it until 1732, when one + arose near its south-east corner, under the ministry of Mr. John Comer, formerly pastor of the first Baptist church in Newport, R. I. By the year 1794, no less than seven Baptist churches had been formed in Rehoboth ; most of them were small, and hardly any two of them were united in their views of doctrine and discipline. Elhanam Winchester, who after- wards distinguished himself by the propagation of the doctrine of Universal Restoration, was, for a few years, pastor of one of them. The youngest of theset is that at the lower end of the great Seekonk Plaine, within about three miles of Providence, which is supplied by Mr. John Pitman of that town." The majority of these small churches have greatly declined, and some of them have become utterly extinct. Brief notices will be given of them all.
OAK SWAMP CHURCH.
This church was gathered, January 20, 1732, by the Rev. Jolin Comer, who had formerly been pastor of the first Baptist church in Newport, R. I. He removed from Newport to
* See Ecclesiastical history of Seekonk. t Oak Swamp Church.
# Now the Baptist church of Seekonk.
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Rehoboth in August of 1731, and was installed over the church he had collected here, July 26, 1732. The Rev. Ephraim Wheaton, of Swansey, preached the installation sermon from Thess. v. 12, 13, and gave him the right hand of fellowship. November 30th, Mr. Comer baptized fifteen persons, chiefly converts under his preaching. In less than two years from the date of its organization this church numbered ninety-five mem- bers. Mr. Comer died of consumption, May 23, 1734, in the 30th year of his age.
Mr. Comer was born at Boston, August 1, 1704, and was the son of Mr. John and Mrs. Mary Comer. His father died July, 1706, in North Carolina, where he had touched on his voyage to England. John was then nearly two years of age, July 1, 1708, his mother was married to Mr. John Philips of Boston, by whom she had two children, a son and a daughter. In 1709, Mr. Comer says, his mother told him, "that he had read his Bible lialf out." In 1714 his mother and father-in-law remov- ed to South Carolina for the purpose of obtaining some property left by Mr. John Comer for his son's liberal education. But no sooner had his father-in-law got possession of this property than he appropriated it to his own use. He soon died in a sin- gular manner, which John says was considered a judgment of God for defrauding the fatherless. He was walking in a very dark night with a long pipe in his mouth, when he fell, and the pipe-stem, running down his throat, broke off, and no means that could be devised, could get it out. He continued from Saturday till Monday, when he died. John, though exceedingly desi- rous of an education, was now reduced to the necessity of learn- ing some useful trade for support. May 1718, he says, " I went to learn the glover's trade of Mr. Benjamin Harris of Bos- ton " ;- with him he continued two years and one month. "In this time," said he, " I had opportunity to read and did improve it." "This year" [1719] says he, " I composed a set dis- course (which was the first) from the words in Eccl. xii. 1, " Remember me," &c. "In July 1720," says he, "I was put by my grandfather to Mr. Zechariah Fitch, to the same trade. He, seeing me read much, said to me and to others, ' I see you wont do for me, for you read too much.' At this time I applied myself to my grandfather, to go on in my studying, but he refused. I prevailed upon the Rev. Dr. Increase Math- er to go and talk with him ; which being done he consented to it." " In December of this year, [1720] I began my grammar
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with my old schoolmaster, Mr. Angier; being sixteen years and four months old. Thus I set out upon my studies." His grandfather died Monday, August 7, 1721. "He committed me," says Mr. Comer, " to the care and inspection of Mr. John Webb, and by will bequeathed to me £500. This sum was to bring me up, and introduce me comfortably into the world, which it did." In 1723, an intimate friend of his, Mr. Ephraim Craft, who had been a member of Mr. Webb's communion, in Boston, but had now embraced the principles of the Baptists and joined Mr. Callender's church, persuaded him to read "Stennett on Baptism," and give the subject a thorough examination. This resulted, some years afterwards, in his conversion to the princi- ples of the Baptists. In 1723 he was admitted into Yale Col- lege, " containing," says his journal, " about fifty students." The summer of 1724, by permission of the faculty of the college, he studied with the Rev. Mr. Barnard, a Congregational minis- ter of Andover, with whom he had studied a short time previous to entering college. "January 1, 1725, was baptized by Mr. Callender, and admitted into full communion with the Baptist church in Boston." " So I tarried in Boston that winter, and resolved to go no more to college ; but to follow my studies privately, and to keep for a time a school in the country, if any presented. Accordingly a school presenting itself at Shawamet, on the lower end of Swansey, and considering there was a Bap- tist church there, about eight miles distant, I accepted the motion." He left Boston, Thursday May 5, 1725, and reach- ed Swansey the next day, "sending his horse back by the post." " Saturday the 8th," says he, "I visited the minister, Mr. Ephraim Wheaton, and was invited by him to preach the next Lord's day, which I accepted, having been earnest with the Lord for the bestowment of suitable gifts and graces for so sacred an office." In June he engaged to teach the public school one quarter, at the rate of £44 a year. He preached, during the time that he was engaged in teaching, regularly one sermon on the Sabbath, to lighten the labors of the Rev. Mr. Wheaton, who had become infirm through age. In August [1725] he was invited by the church in Swansey to preach to them regularly, having before preached only at the request of their pastor ; but having reason to believe that some few persons were secretly hostile to his settlement, he accepted a similar invitation from the first Baptist church in Newport, R. I., and was ordained, May 19, 1795, colleague with the Rev. William
-
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Peckham. He was married, January 20, 1726, to Miss Sarah Rogers of Newport, by whom he had three children, John, Sarah, and Mary ; these married into the Kennicut, Mendal, and Cranston families. Mr. Comer remained at Newport only about three years, when he removed to Rehoboth and founded the church at " Oak Swamp," as before related. The cause of his leaving Newport was his preaching the indispensibility of the laying on of hands to all baptized believers. This gave offence to some of the church and caused a violent opposition to his preaching. " Nevertheless," says a historian,* " they whom he made angry venerated the man for his piety and pop- ular talents." Mr. Comer kept a journal and was curious in noting all the remarkable events that came within his knowl- edge. This swelled into two volumes of the folio size, which are now deposited in the cabinet of the Rhode Island Histori- cal Society. To this journal I am principally indebted for the facts here given of Mr. Comer. He had formed the design of writing the history of the American Baptists, and for this pur- pose had entered into correspendence with the distinguished clergymen of that denomination, both in England and America, and had even travelled as far south as Philadelphia, in collect- ing the materials to prosecute his plan. The materials col- lected by him were made use of both by Backus and Benedict in their histories.
Several quotations from Mr. Comer's journal have already been given in this sketch ; the following were written after his settlement at Rehoboth, and may serve as a specimen of his minute chronicling of the events which transpired around him, interspersed with prayers, religious reflections, &c.
" Saturday, Jan 1, 1732. This day I began a new year in a new place, though not a new employment ; for my delight of soul is in serving my dear Redeemer in the sacred service of the ministry, which I prefer and extol above every thing else, (though I acknowledge unfit, unworthy in myself). O Lord, who is sufficient for these things ? Sufficiency is alone of God. On him I rest and rely. Continually, Lord, grant me this year new supplies of thy spirit ; and, as I renew a new year, I en- treat I may find my desires renewed to glorify and serve thee."
" Lord's day, Jan. 16, 1732. This day Mr. John Luther's house was burned down about 11 o'clock, A. M. in Swansey."
¥ Ecclesiastical Hist. of Rhode Island, by Morgan Edwards, in MS. now in the archives of the Rhode Island Hist. Soc.
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" Thursd. Jan 20, 1732. This day a Baptist church was gathered in Rehoboth, and I was chosen to the pastoral office."
" Wednesday, 26th. This day I was publickly installed pastor over the Baptist church in Rehoboth. The elder and messengers of the church of Swansey assisted. Elder Ephraim Wheaton preached from Ist Thess. v. 12, 13, and gave me the right hand of fellowship."
" Lord's day, February 13. This day I preached at New- port for Mr. John Callender, in my old congregation ; it being the first time since we parted."
" Mond. 14. This night, about 11 of the clock, Mr. Hugh Cole, jun. left his hay, and every thing belonging to him, in the fire, save his family, who narrowly escaped (through God's dis- tinguishing goodness), some in part, and others not at all cloth- ed, in an extreme cold night, in Swansey."
" Tuesd. 15. This day for the extremity of cold may deserve to be chronicled."
" Lord's day, 20th. This day, about 1 P. M., my wife's mother, Mrs. Sarah Rogers, departed this life, and I have grace to hope she died in the Lord."
" Lord's day, 27th. This day another house was burned in Swansey, at 9 A. M."
" Thursd. March 16, 1732. This day in the town of Reho- both, one John Abel cut his own throat with a razor, about sun- rise : he had been ill in body some time."
" April, Wednesd. 8, 1732. This day a remarkable snow fell, between 2 and 3 feet deep : the deepest we had this year."
With this the journal closes. Some leaves appear to have been torn off. Mr. Comer lived more than two years after the date of this last memorandum. In his death his church expe- rienced an irreparable loss, and soon fell into a decline from which it never but partially recovered.
On the 4th of June, 1736, Nathaniel Millard, was ordained as the successor of Mr. Comer ; but according to Backus [vol. II. p. 385,] he was a man of unsound principles, who, in six years after, abandoned his wife, and formed an adulterous con- nection with a woman of abandoned character, with whom he left the town.
In 1745, Rev Samuel Maxwell, who, at his own request had been dismissed from Swansey, in 1739, took the charge of this
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church. He was dismissed from it in less than four years. [Backus, vol. II. p. 384, vol. III. p. 148.]
August 3, 1748. Rev. John Paine was ordained over this church. [Backus, vol. II. p. 175.]
The Rev. Richard Round, who had previously formed a church in the north-east part of the town, preached to this church for several years before his death, which occurred May 18, 1768, at the age of 62. He is said to have been a pious and good man.
In 1795, this church had been dissolved. The church and congregation to which Mr. Winchester preached, afterwards worshipped for a time in the house of this church.
ROUND'S CHURCH.
This church is located in the north-east part of the town, and was formed by the Rev. David Round. During the first year of its formation it embraced forty members. Mr. Round, their first pastor, was ordained, July 13, 1743. He preached the gospel faithfully till his health failed, when he removed to the southern part of the town for the benefit of the sea air. About this time a division took place both in this church and the one founded by Mr. Comer at Oak Swamp. A part of the members of each worshipped at Round's meeting-house, and the other part, at Oak Swamp, where Mr. Round, having re- gained his health, preached to them until his death, May 18, 1768.
After the removal of Mr. Round there was no regular preach- ing here,-and, in fact, the church was considered only as a branch of Elder Goff's church, of Dighton, till a church was again formed (or at most revived) by the Rev. Sylvester Round, about the year 1782-3. Mr. Round continued the pastor of this church till his death, October 26, 1824, since which date no regular meeting has been sustained; and the the number of members is so small and so scattered as scarcely to deserve the name of a church. This church, as formed by the latter Mr. Round, was called the " six principled Baptists."*
* For most of the facts stated respecting this church and the two following, I am indebted to Dr. Menzias A. Randall, who resides in the north-east part of Rehoboth.
24
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HISTORY OF REHOBOTH.
Mr. Round was born in Rehoboth, April 10, 1762, and, in 1780, married Miss Mehitable Perry, also of Rehoboth.
REFORMED METHODIST CHURCH.
After the death of the Rev. Sylvester Round, in 1824, there was no preacher located in the vicinity of his church till 1826, when the Rev. Lorenzo D. Johnson, from Vermont, came and commenced preaching ; and, in the year 1827, organized a church, called " Reformed Methodist." Mr. Johnson preach- ed here till 1829, when he was succeeded by the Rev. Benja- min M'Cloth. Mr. M'Cloth supplied the desk till 1834. His ministry was highly successful and useful. He was succeeded by the Rev. Joseph S. Eldridge, who is the present pastor of the church. Mr. Eldridge was born at Harwich, (Mass.), and married Miss Rhoda Shares, of Chatham, (Mass.) The condi- tion of this church since its formation has been highly pros- perous. It numbers now 77 members, and embraces a society of 3 or 4 hundred. It has erected a neat and commodious house, finished in good taste.
IRON'S CHURCH.
This church is in the north-west part of Rehoboth, near to Attleborough. It was formed after a revival of religion there, October 2, 1777. The Rev. James Sheldon, of Providence, was ordained their pastor, September 6, 1780. He purchased a farm in the vicinity, for sixteen hundred dollars ; but, after he had paid a thousand dollars of the sum, he was pressed for the remainder of it, in the trying year of 1786, so as to be compel- led to sell it again, with the loss of about seven hundred dol- lars. He soon removed his family back to Providence ; though he often came and preached to this church, for several years, till he obtained a dismission, in 1792, and removed into the State of New York. This church obtained occasional supplies of preaching, from time to time, till the Rev. Jeremiah Irons was ordained their pastor, September 24, 1795. He was born in Gloucester, R. I., October 14, 1765, and is believed to be still living somewhere in the western states. [Backus, vol. III. pp. 150-1.] After the period of Mr. Irons leaving Rehoboth, the
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desk was occasionally supplied by Reverends William Northrop and Daniel Hix (or Hicks,) for a few years, till the Rev. Samuel Northrop was located here, who supplied the pulpit till his death, in 1812. He was born in North Kingston, R. I., and died in Rehoboth. Since his death the desk has been occa- sionally supplied by Reverends Timothy Morse and Reuben Allen, of New-Hampshire, John M. Yeamshaw, of Mass., and J. S. Mowry, of R. I. Mr. Mowry is the present minister. The church numbers at present, ahout 90 members, and is of the denomination called " Free-will Baptists."
HICKS' CHURCH.
This church, like most of the others we have spoken of, re- ceived its name from its founder, the Rev. John Hicks. He was born in Rehoboth, May 10, 1712, and was ordained the first pastor of this church, November 10, 1762. In 1780 this church consisted of 106 members. In 1784 it embraced 100 members, and Mr. Hicks was still its pastor. In 1795 he was still living, but so infirm, through age, as to be unable to preach. His eldest son, Jacob, born at Rehoboth, January 1, 1740, was pastor of a church which grew out of this, under the preaching of the Rev. Elhanan Winchester.
The origin and history of this church, formed by Mr. Win- chester, is thus stated by Backus, vol. III. pp. 149, 150: " Another church was raised out of the other [the former], in the following manner. A powerful work began among them in the fall of 1771, and elder Hicks baptized forty persons, and then was taken sick in the winter, and Mr. Winchester came and baptized twenty more ; and such power appeared to attend his ministry, that many were taken in with the opinion, that baptism by immersion ought not to be held as a term of com- munion in the church. A council was called upon it, in Sep- tember, 1772, and they who were not convinced by them, form- ed another church, and ordained Mr. Jacob Hicks as their pastor, January 20, 1773. He is the eldest son of their old pastor, and was born January 1, 1740. This division caused much unhappiness for many years ; but both societies have usually held their worship together, in late times, and they now
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[1795] meet in the same house that was first built for Mr. Comer's church."*
The Rev. Elhanan Winchester, who preached a short time to this church, and who afterwards distinguished himself as the author and able advocate of universal restoration, and the found- er of a religious sect, deserves to be noticed here.
He was born in Brookline, Mass., September 19, 1751. Though not favoured with the advantages of an academical education, yet, naturally fond of books and studious from a boy, by making the most of the means within his power, he acquir- ed, as Backus expresses it, " a considerable measure of human learning." He made a first attemptt at preaching in Rehoboth, at the age of nineteen. His preaching in Rehoboth caused a division in the church to which he was preaching, and from it another was formed, over which he was ordained pastor, Sep- tember 4, 1771, before he was twenty years old. Though he had himself been baptized by immersion, and had, at the first, joined a close communion church, he insisted zealously on all christians communing together. But, soon after his ordination, being per- suaded by a Baptist clergyman to believe that he was in an error in regard to communion, Mr. Winchester declared to his church, " that he could no more administer the ordinance of the supper to any who were only sprinkled in infancy, though he was still willing to discharge all the duties of his office to them, that he could do with a good conscience." [Backus, vol. III. pp. 152-5.] Upon hearing this declaration, the majority of his church refused to let him preach another sermon among them ; and, in May, 1778, ordained for their pastor the Rev. Jonathan Chaffee. They styled their communion " large com- munion," and the other, " close communion." In December, 1772, Mr. Winchester called a council of Baptist churches, who advised him to confess what they considered an error, to his church, and then to offer himself as a member to some other Baptist church. He followed their advice and was received into the Baptist church in Bellingham, Mass. He afterwards preached at. Newton, Mass., and was, according to Allen [Am. Biog. and Hist. Dic.,] the first minister of the Baptist church in that place. After this he travelled extensively, and preached through all the country as far south as South Carolina. In
*Oak Swamp church.
t This fact I had from a lady still living, who heard his first sermon.
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1778 we find him on the Pedee river in that State, zealously teaching the Calvinistic doctrines, as explained by Dr. Gill. In the following year his labours were useful among the negroes. In 1781 he became pastor of a Baptist church in Philadelphia ; but ' the fathers of it,' perceiving that he had imbibed the doc- trine of universal salvation, soon rejected him. His party, hav- ing become the majority, sued for the meeting-house and par- sonage ; but, after a long lawsuit and much cost, they were defeated, and the property was secured to the original church. After this Mr. Winchester visited New-England, where he spent a year ; and then returning to Philadelphia, he embarked for England, in July, 1787. While in London, he published his Dialogues on universal restoration, which gained him much celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic. He returned to Amer- ica, and landed at Boston, in July, 1794; and Backus remarks of him, in 1796 :- " he is spreading his doctrines in this coun- try, which makes it needful to hold up light against them." He died at Hartford, Conn., in April 1797, aged 45. Besides his Dialogues, he published a volume of hymns, 1776 ; a plain political catechism for schools ; a sermon on restoration, 1781 ; and lectures on the prophecies. An American edition of the latter, 2 vols. 8vo. was published in 1800.
PIERCE'S CHURCH.
This church was in the south-east part of Rehoboth. In order to form it, about thirty persons were dismissed from the second Baptist church in Swansey, who ordained the Rev. Daniel Martin for their pastor, February 8, 1753. The Rev. Nathan Pierce was soon ordained with him. Mr. Martin pub- lished a sermon, in 1770, against "particular election, and effi- cacious grace in conversion." An answer to this was published the next year, "which," says Backus, "was convincing to many minds." Mr. Martin died at an advanced age, Novem- ber 17, 1781 ; and Mr. Pierce died in 1794. Rev. Thomas Seamens was a colleague with Mr. Pierce for a number of years before his death, and was still minister of this church in 1795, but the number of its members was small.
HISTORY OF SEEKONK.
IN 1812 the west part of Rehoboth was, by an act of the Legislature, passed the 26th of February of that year, incor- porated into a distinct township, resuming its ancient Indian name, Seekonk .* The reason of this division was the great extent of the old town, and the difficulty and inconvenience thence consequent on the assembling of the town for the trans- action of their public business. The history of Seekonk, be- coming from this period distinct, or, at least, a branch of the history of the original town, is necessarily so related. The civil history consists chiefly in extracts from the town records. The following is the
ACT OF INCORPORATION.
"SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the westerly part of Rehoboth in the county of Bristol, as described within the following bounds, with the inhabitants thereon, be, and they are hereby incorpo- rated into a separate town, by the name of Seekonk, viz : Beginning at a rock in the line between the towns of Attlebo- rough and Rehoboth, which is the northeast corner boundary of the west precinct in said Rehoboth ; thence south, four degrees west, until it strikes the line between the towns of Swanzey and said Rehoboth ; thence westerly, by Swanzey line, till it strikes the line between the said Rehoboth and the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations ; thence following the line between the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and said Rehoboth, till it comes to the southwest corner of the town of Attleborough ; thence easterly by the line between the towns of Attleborough and Rehoboth to the first mentioned
* For the derivation and meaning of this word, see note page 1, Hist. of Rehoboth.
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bounds ;- and the said town of Seekonk is hereby vested with all the powers and privileges, rights and immunities, and subject to all the duties to which other towns are entitled and subjected by the constitution or laws of this Commonwealth.
"SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That of all state and coun- ty taxes which shall be levied and required of said towns, pre- vious to a new valuation, the said town of Seekonk shall pay one half thereof.
"SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, that all the expenses ari- sing for the support of the poor of said town of Rehoboth, with which it is now chargeable, together with such poor as have removed out of said town prior to this act of incorporation, but who may hereafter be lawfully returned to said town for sup- port, shall be equally divided between the towns of Seekonk and Rehoboth ; and when the said town of Seekonk shall be organized, the paupers, whether the same be supported in whole or in part only, shall be divided as nearly as may be, and one half of the number delivered over to the overseers of the poor of that town, to be by them in future supported.
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