USA > Maine > History of the Baptists in Maine > Part 12
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
January 7, 1807, the trustees of the Maine Baptist Mis- sionary Society met at Livermore. In the record of this meeting we have this statement concerning the treasury : "Cash on hand, $199.65; In books, Mr. Merrill's works, $2.00; total, $201.65; For printing the Register, No. 1, and expenses attending it, $30.00; total, $171.65." By the "Register, No. 1," is meant The Maine Baptist Missionary Register, the first number of which, known as Vol. 1, was published in August, 1806. The title page reads as fol- lows : "The Maine Baptist Missionary Register, Vol. I, August, 1806. Published for the benefit of the Society. 'His name was spread abroad,' Mark. Augusta (Ken- nebec). Printed by Peter Edes, 1806." The first arti- cle in this number is entitled "A Brief Account of the Maine Baptist Missionary Society, with Motives to Perse- verance." This article is followed by missionary intel- ligence, in which there is mention of the labors of Rev.
124
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MAINE.
Isaac Case, and extracts from letters written by J. T. (John Tripp), Sylvanus Boardman, Phinehas Pilsbury, and others ; also "a letter from the Rev. Mr. Francis, giv- ing a sketch of the Baptist church in Leeds, dated May 1, 1806."
It was voted at this meeting to print a second number of the Register "to be out the middle of August next," to contain thirty-two pages, "with blue cover and the con- tents printed on the outside." Messrs. Boardman and Tripp were appointed to superintend the printing of the Register. At a later meeting it was voted to print six hundred copies. This second number of the Register, No. 2 of Vol. I, appeared in August, 1808.1 With this number the publication ceased. Evidently the expense did not warrant further outlay.
On the 31st of May, 1807, Mr. Case again entered upon mission work. June 6th he visited Monmouth and then turned his feet toward the new settlements beyond the Penobscot. In his journal he says: "Being hindered by the rain, I stopped and preached three times in Vas- salborough. Then went to Northport, where I preached once. Here I fell in company with Brother William Allen, a young licensed preacher, who concluded to travel with me. We arrived at a place called Stetsontown on Friday evening, June 13th. This place was a waste, howling wil- derness until about five years ago, when four or five fami- lies moved into it. The most of them were professors, but they were in a very low state of mind as to the exercise of religion, until about a year ago, when I visited them, preached to them several times, and baptized four per- sons. From that time to the present they have kept up the worship of God among themselves, and have been much engaged in the cause of Christ. Of late God has poured out his Spirit and converted a number more." The result was that a church was organized June 16th. "This," says Mr. Case, "is the first church gathered
1 On the first page is the following: "The Maine Baptist Missionary Register, Vol. I, August, 1808, No. 2. Published for the benefit of the Society. Contents. Portland. Printed by Arthur Shirley, for the Maine Baptist Missionary Society, 1808."
125
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MAINE.
in this part of the wilderness." Continuing his journey, Mr. Case preached at Bluehill, Deer Isle, Fox Island and Castine. Then he went into New Brunswick, where he labored at St. Andrews and other places. On his return he preached at Eastport.
Rev. Henry Hale, in the service of the Massachusetts Society, entered upon a mission June 1, 1807, preaching in Machias, Chandlerville (Detroit), Addison (where he was joined by Elder Haynes), Little River, Buck's Harbor, and returned to Sedgwick September 11th. The time was spent in preaching, visiting from house to house and bap- tizing. 1
Rev. Henry Kendall set out on a mission in the service of the Maine Baptist Missionary Society Aug. 26, 1807. He visited Canaan, Cornville, Athens, and then through twelve miles of woods to the upper settlements on the Pis- cataquis river, where there were thirteen families. On this tour, which lasted three weeks, Mr. Kendall rode about two hundred and seventy miles, preached thirty- four times, attended three other meetings and baptized two persons. Subsequently he spent three added weeks in the back settlements and "baptized a number." "It is three years next June since I received ordination, and by the good hand of God helping me, I have baptized one hundred and sixty-four persons."
The Maine Baptist Missionary Society held its annual meeting Sept. 23, 1807, at Brunswick, in connection with the Bowdoinham Association. Rev. Thomas Green of Yarmouth preached the introductory sermon from Zech. 9 : 9-11. The collection for mission amounted to $137.00.
In the early autumn Mr. Case visited some of the destitute churches on the Sandy and Kennebec rivers. October 30th, he again directed his steps to the eastward, intending to visit Nova Scotia. On the way he preached at Nobleborough, where a religious interest had been awakened in connection with "the preaching of Brother Pilsbury." He preached also at Islesborough, Northport
1 Massachusetts Baptist Missionary Magazine, Vol. 1, pp. 359-362.
126
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MAINE.
and Addison. At the last place he wrote his report, November 19th, adding, "next week, by the will of the Lord, I am to go to Machias, and assist Brother Hale in constituting a church in that place." Unfortunately the journal of this tour closes here, and there is no record of the organization of the church, if it was effected at that time.1
December 4, 1807, Mr. Case, with Rev. Henry Hale, left Eastport for a missionary tour in the British Provinces, returning to his home in Readfield April 18th. Rev. David Ricker, also in the service of the Missionary Society, vis- ited the towns in the upper part of New Hamsphire and Vermont, leaving his home Jan. 11, 1808. He was absent twenty-six days and preached twenty-five times.
January 1, 1808, was observed by the churches of Bow- doinham and Lincoln Associations as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer for an increase of ministers, for revivals in the churches, for greater liberality on the part of the church members, for deliverance from doctrinal errors and for increased consecration. "The solemn day was hardly past," wrote Rev. Daniel Merrill, "ere the decree manifestly went forth to begin the accomplishment of the things which we desired."
In the Baptist Missionary Magazine, Jan. 1, 1808, is a very interesting chapter of extracts from Elder Phinehas Pilsbury's journal, kept during a mission of six months in Vermont, upper Canada and New York. It closes with this paragraph: "On this mission I have spent six months, rode eleven hundred and twenty-seven miles, preached one hundred and fifty-five times, baptized four persons, and attended to other missionary labors. I have
1 Millet, p. 341, says : "The people were generally Congregational, and favored with a stated ministry. Baptists, by their occasional efforts, obtained but limited influence among them for many years. In 1797, Mr. Murphy labored among them. Elder Case says, 'Several persons were regenerated into gospel faith,' and 'from that time till 1810, Baptist ministers visited these brethren occasionally, and preached Christ to them and to the people.' While on a mission, Elder Case made them a visit in 1810. Here he met. Rev. Mr. Manning from Nova Scotia, who aided him in constituting the Baptists in Machias, who desired the privilege, into a gospel church. Their number was eleven only."
+
127
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MAINE.
enjoyed good health, for which I ought to be thankful. I received eleven dollars, forty-two cents, and expended eight dollars, eleven cents."
Rev. Thomas Macomber left his home in Sumner on a missionary tour Jan. 5, 1808. During most of the time he had as a companion Rev. Nehemiah Gould. They visited among other places Bangor and appointed a meeting there. Mr. Macomber and Mr. Gould were entertained at the "house of a Baptist brother by the name of Thomas Brad- bury" but Mr. Macomber "saw but very little appearance of religion in the place. Mr. Sawyer, a Congregational preacher, attended the meeting [held by Mr. Macomber], and professed satisfaction in what he heard while we were in Bangor."1 Other places visited were Orrington, Blais- deltown (Exeter), Lincoln, Charleston, Number Five (Cambridge), and Number Four (Sangerville). At the latter place four men and six women were baptized. "I enjoyed a comfortable state of mind in speaking at the water and in administering the ordinance," wrote Mr. Macomber, and the candidates seemed "not to be in the least daunted at the coldness of the weather." The organization of a church of twelve members followed, which was increased to sixteen before the missionaries left. One of the members of the new church, William Oaks, was licensed to preach, and was ordained at Canaan in 1815. From this place Mr. Macomber made his way through "a disagreeable wood of nearly twelve miles dis- tance, and the snow more than knee deep, to Number Five, now Cambridge. Here he was made welcome at the house of Jacob Hale. Mrs. Hale had not heard a ser- mon for six years, and to the household and two neighbors Mr. Macomber preached from 2 Cor. 5:17.2 On his way home Mr. Macomber preached in Harmony, Cornville, Canaan, baptizing two in the latter place. During this missionary tour he preached thirty-four times, baptized
1 Manuscript Journal by Mr. Macomber.
2 A few years later Rev. Henry Kendall visited the place and baptized Mr. Hale and his wife. His account of the baptism is given in his Autobiography; p. 70.
128
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MAINE.
fifteen, organized a church, attended a conference and administered the Lord's Supper. He was kindly received in every place and had several requests for visits, with which he could not comply.1
In the service of the Missionary Society, Rev. Sylvanus Boardman left his home Jan. 24, 1808, and visited Bel- grade, Clinton, Canaan, Fairfield, Norridgewock, Anson, Carratunk, East Portland, New Vineyard and Farming- ton. On the last day in June he again visited Fairfield, where he had the pleasure of baptizing converts.
Rev. Joseph Adams, also in the service of the Mission- ary Society, entering upon the work Feb, 29, 1808, visited Belgrade, Fairfield, Canaan, Athens (where his spirit was stirred within him as was that of Paul in ancient Athens), Harmony, Number Five, Amestown (Sangerville), Num- ber Two, Stetsontown, Palmyra (where the lion roared but the lambs rejoiced), Norridgewock and Mercer. He was absent from his home thirty-one days and preached twenty-nine times.
May 18, 1808, Rev. Isaac Case, writing to Dr. Baldwin, said : "I expect, God willing, to set out to-morrow on my old delightful work of sounding the Redeemer's name to dying men." God was willing. As his journal shows, Mr. Case went first to Jefferson, where a revival had been in progress since March, and the work had extended to the upper part of Newcastle. There were few families that had not shared in its blessings to a greater or less degree. After preaching and baptizing, Mr. Case proceeded to Thomaston, where also he preached and baptized. May 31st, he went to St. George, where an extensive work of grace was in progress. Returning to Jefferson June 1st, he preached in the upper part of the town. "At the head of Damariscotta Pond," he writes, "they are building a convenient meeting-house which is to be finished this sea- son. At present they have Brother William Allen preach- ing to them, and the probability is that he will settle among them. They expect soon to organize a church,
1 Maine Baptist Missionary Register, August, 1808, pp. 27, 28.
129
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MAINE.
and for this purpose I have appointed a time to visit them again." June 16th, people from ten or eleven towns assembled at the head of the pond. Elder Case preached from Ps. 66 : 16. He then baptized twelve candidates. In his journal he says: "We returned to the meeting- house where the articles of faith and covenant were read and agreed to by the candidates, who likewise manifested a union and Christian fellowship with each other. These, with a number more who had been dismissed from Balls- town [Whitefield] church for this purpose, were embodied into a church, and received the right hand of fellowship. The ministers present on this occasion were Elders Bag- ley, Lewis, Pilsbury and myself." On Sunday follow- ing, he baptized seven more, who were received into the church, and all these joined in celebrating the Lord's Sup- per. June 22d, Mr. Case went to the western part of Jefferson, called the Ridge, where he baptized five. Here a church was organized June 25th. "The next day," he writes, "after preaching to a thronged assembly, I bap- tized a woman of about seventy years of age. We then returned to our place of worship, which was a barn, and after attempting to preach again, I administered the Lord's Supper to this infant church, which consists of eighteen members."
September 25th, Mr. Case resumed his missionary labors. First he went to Monmouth. The following week he attended the Bowdoinham Association at Fayette. "It was truly astonishing," he writes in his journal, "to see the multitudes of Christians and others that met on this occasion. Twenty-one years ago last May, when the asso- ciation was formed, it consisted of three churches only. One room in a dwelling house would then contain the assembly, but now the largest building in the county will not hold the people." The missionary sermon was preached this year by Rev. John Tripp from John 4 : 35, and a considerable sum was collected for the use of the mission."
From the association Mr. Case went to Jefferson, and 10
130
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS' IN MAINE.
preached to the two infant churches in that town. One of them had received fifty members since he was there in the previous summer, and now had seventy-five members ; the other had thirty-nine members. He also preached in Newcastle and Old Sheepscot. Then he visited Fairfield, Canaan, Cornville and Harmony. A church had been organized in Harmony a few years before, but it did not flourish. A new interest had been awakened in con- nection with the labors of Benjamin Eames, a licensed preacher. Mr. Case attended a conference and it was resolved to organize a new church. This was done, and several persons were baptized. Subsequently Mr. Case visited New Vineyard and Industry and later Camden. Writing March 31, 1809, he says: "I expect to set out to-morrow to visit several destitute places between this and the Penobscot river."
The Missionary Society met at Leeds Sept. 28, 1809, in connection with the Bowdoinham Association. The trus- tees elected were Robert Low, Sylvanus Boardman, John Tripp, Nathaniel Chase, Thomas Wyman, Thomas Fran- cis, Thomas Macomber, and Ransom Norton. There is no mention of officers except the statement that "Elder Boardman was then chosen treasurer." At a meeting of the trustees November 1st, Mr. Boardman was elected chairman and Mr. Tripp, secretary. The following action was taken at this meeting: "Considering the great scar- city of money, voted to give our missionaries four dollars a week for the present year. Voted that Brother Tripp be requested to take a tour of four weeks to Upper Coos and towards Canada. Voted that Brother Boardman be requested to visit Piscataquis for five weeks. Voted to request Brother Wyman to go up Sandy river for three weeks. Voted to request Brother Henry Kendall to go up Kennebec for three weeks." At the meeting at Leeds Rev. Henry Kendall preached a sermon from Luke 7: 22, and there was a collection as usual. The members of the society were requested in the Minutes to meet at the Bap- tist meeting-house in Readfield on the third Wednesday in
FIRST CHURCH, BANGOR.
131
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MAINE.
January, 1810, to consider the propriety of changing the time of the annual meeting. As the meetings of the ยท society continued to be held in connection with the Bow- doinham Association, it is evident that the proposal of a change was not received with favor.
During this year Mr. Case spent a few weeks in the most destitute places in the State of Rhode Island. On his return he preached in Portland for Pastor Converse, who tarried and preached at Saco Falls, where, writes Mr. Case, "there is a special attention to religion. I have since been informed that his labors have been blest to a number of precious souls. God is also magnifying his grace in Portland."
After returning to his home in Readfield, Mr. Case vis- ited a number of destitute churches in Kennebec County, also the churches in Farmington and at Webb's Pond (Weld). In December he proceeded eastward as far as the Penobscot, preaching in Augusta, Vassalborough, Fair- fax (Albion), Unity, Knox, Montville, Goose Pond, Frank- fort, Hampden and Bangor. "In Bangor," he writes, "there is a Pedobaptist church, but no settled minister. There are also a few Baptist brethren in this town, who have had Dr. Burnham preaching with them part of the time the summer past." Returning, he attended a quar- terly meeting in Frankfort. "Religion is evidently gain- ing ground in this wilderness," he writes. "It was with a degree of reluctance that I left these infant settle- ments."
But he was soon again engaged in missionary labor. Jan. 27, 1810, he left his home and visited Livermore, Hartford, Industry, New Vineyard and Farmington. In several of these places there had been interesting revivals and the missionary found a most cordial welcome. March 4th, he turned his face toward the scattered settlements between the Kennebec and the Penobscot rivers, preach- ing in Fairfield, Clinton, Cornville, and Harmony. Then
1 Rev. Josiah Converse was pastor of the First Baptist church, Portland, from June 1, 1807, to April 30, 1810.
132
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MAINE.
he turned northward to the towns on the Piscataquis river, in eleven of which he preached. "It is but a short time since the people began to settle in these parts," he writes, "and they are still very scattered, and in general destitute of any kind of preaching." In Charleston he organized a church April 10th. Subsequently he visited Gardiner, Litchfield, St. George, and other places. Octo- ber 1st, he set out on a missionary tour into the British Provinces. At Eastport he aided Rev. Daniel Merrill in reorganizing the church "which had been in a scattered, broken and dismal state for several years." On this tour he was absent four months. Later in the year, he visited Sedgwick, Castine, Bluehill, Penobscot and Prospect. Of his visit to Bluehill he writes : "There has been a regular Baptist church in this town more than four years, and they have had an elder ordained over them about one year and a half ; they are, however, still taxed to the Pedobap- tist minister. Elder Roundy, the pastor of this church, had one of his cows taken by the collector for his minis- terial tax while I was in the place." In his account of his labors during this tour, Mr. Case says that on this mis- sion of twenty weeks he "received thirty-eight dollars, twenty-two cents; expended three dollars, seventy-four cents."
That his labors were highly appreciated by his breth- ren we know from contemporary testimony. Rev. David Benedict visited the District of Maine in 1810. August 10th, writing to the editor of the Massachusetts Bap- tist Missionary Magazine from Sedgwick, where he was spending a few days with Rev. Daniel Merrill, he said : "I have been much pleased and highly gratified to hear so many testimonies of the extensive usefulness of our laborious Brother Case, who has for some time received the deserved patronage of the Missionary Society."
CHAPTER IX.
BETTER DAYS.
Better days had now come to the older Baptist churches in the District of Maine. The missionary operations, so wisely planned and earnestly promoted, had not in the least weakened the forces on the home fields. Again was it found to be true that there is that scattereth and yet increaseth.
At the meeting of the New Hampshire Association, held at Parsonsfield June 10 and 11, 1801, there was an esti- mated attendance of two thousand people. But there was not merely a large assembly, "Great sobriety and good order" were manifested, and "there was a remarkable solemnity and engagedness in prayer and exhortation in all the intervals in the association." The representatives from the churches were full of gratitude in view of past blessings, and full of hope with reference to the enlarge- ment of Christ's visible kingdom.
These hopes were abundantly realized. The following new churches were added to the association in the opening decade of the new century : Buxton in 1800; Limington in 1802; 2d Wells in 1803; Arundel (Kennebunkport) in 1804; 2d Waterboro and 2d Shapleigh in 1806; Phillips- burg (Hollis) and Newfield in 1807 and 3d Berwick in 1808. Great carefulness with reference to the reception of churches into the association was exercised at this time. In 1802 "a letter from the Andover and Salisbury church" requested admission to the New Hampshire Association, but the association postponed action one year "by reason of some things being not fully expressed in their articles of faith," and the applicants were requested to "make some amendments or adopt new articles." What these
134
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MAINE.
"some things" were in which the articles of faith pre- sented were deficient we are not told. It is a significant fact, however, that the Minutes of the association con- tain no further reference to the "Andover and Salisbury church."
These were the days in which Universalism was strenu- ously advocated. In 1781, Elhanan Winchester, who had been a prominent Baptist minister in Philadelphia, became a Universalist, and organized in that city a Universal- ist society, which took the name "Universal Baptists." In New Jersey several Baptist ministers became Univer- salists, and their churches Universalist churches. Rev. Hosea Ballou, who was so prominent as a Universalist preacher, was originally a Baptist, and a member of the church of which his father was pastor. In activity the Universalists of this time were not lacking, and that activ- ity extended to the District of Maine. Among the ques- tions submitted by the churches to the New Hampshire Association at the meeting in Sanford in 1803 was the fol- lowing: "Whether it is agreeable to the laws of Christ's church to excommunicate those who have and still do embrace the universal salvation of all men, and openly declare it?" The association made this response : "We, as an association, do not think it our duty to interfere with the discipline of churches, but as our opinion is asked we give it in the affirmative." The independence of the local church was something for which the Baptists of that day, as now, stood first, last and always, and in this deliver- ance the members of the association evidently felt that they were taking a position which might be regarded as a violation of a well-known Baptist principle. But the occa- sion doubtless seemed to require a clear, definite expres- sion, and the association did not hesitate to give it, though the principle of church independence was fully recognized.
One of the strong, active workers for the cause of Christ in York County at this time was Rev. William Batchelder,1
1 Mr. Batchelder preached the sermon at the ordination of Abner Flanders at Buxton in 1802. The sermon was published by request at Portsmouth, N. H., in 1803, and in 1888,
3
135
HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MAINE.
who was pastor at Berwick Great Hill (North Berwick) from 1796 to 1805. There is a letter written by him at York, Feb. 7, 1805, to Rev. John Peak, which gives us a vivid description of one of his evangelistic experiences at this time :
"The Lord, whose arrangements unfailingly accomplish his intentions, had prepared many of the people of York by sending them to Berwick, about four years before in the time of our reformation. At length I had an invita- tion to preach here at the house of one of the selectmen. So many people were present that we were obliged to meet in an orchard. I spoke from the words, 'One thing is needful.' The people gazed ; for it was to them a new way of talking about religion, and many of the youth had never heard a sermon before. I have since baptized about thirty, who date to that season as the time of their awak- ening. The work has spread remarkably. At one time when met for baptism, it was judged there were twelve or fourteen hundred persons present. Many were solemn, some were wounded and some mocked. On Fri- day I baptized seven. On Saturday, we met in Wells in a beautiful orchard near the sea. About seven hundred people were present. After the exercises, several related God's dealing with them, and presented themselves for baptism. By this time the sun was near the horizon, and it seemed as though there was the Shekinah indeed. Joy lighted up every saint, mourners wept, and spectators beheld with astonishment. About eight o'clock we moved from the spot, lighted by lanterns and torches ; there were
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.