USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Canterbury > History of the town of Canterbury, New Hampshire, 1727-1912, v. 1 > Part 31
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No. 2 Leavitt Clough. 46.00
No. 18 Samuel Jackson. 42.00
No. 3 Otis Young. 33.00
No. 19 Noah Sinclair 30.00
No. 4 Jonathan Davis 28.00 No. 20 Archelaus Moore 23.00
No. 5 Elijah Jackson 24.00
No. 21 Ezekiel Gilman 27.00
No. 6 William Tirrell 22.00
No. 22 George Peverly 15.00
No. 7 Joshua Fletcher 15.50
No. 23 Thomas Arlin 21.00
No. 8 Stephen Davis 15.50
No. 24 Henry Beck 17.00
No. 9 Benjamin Young
17.00
No. 25 Jonathan Davis 17.00
No. 26 Steven Davis . 15.00
No. 27 Moses Lovering
24.00
No. 12 Moses Jackson 16.00
No. 13 Miles Hodgdon 15.00
No. 14 David Kent 26.00
No. 15 John Kent 22.50
No. 16 Samuel Hill, Jr.
22.00
$667.50
No. 10 William Tirrell 15.00
No. 11 Thomas Emery 15.00
No. 28 Joseph Durgin . 15.00
No. 29 Daniel Lovering 25.00
No. 30 Minister's
The record shows the following to have united themselves with the church before Elder Winthrop Young was ordained June 28, 1796:
Winthrop Young, Mary Young, Noah Wiggin, Elizabeth Young, Thomas Jackson, Betsey Young, Archelaus Moore, Mrs. (John) Ingalls, John Kent, Polly Chase, David Kent, Molly Matthews, Elijah Jackson, Betsey Kent, John Small, Kisiah Small, Samuel Jackson, Elizabeth Jackson, Betsey Kent, Jr.
The foregoing list was prepared by a committee in 1817. To it should probably be added the names of Edward Chase, Elijah Matthews, James Lyford, Noah Sinclair, William Berry and John Kinney, to whom certificates were issued in 1794, and the
. KEZER SEMINARY
· HOME OF EDWARD OSGOOD .
BAPTIST CHURCH-BUILT 1852 -
. ORIGINAL BAPTIST CHURCH
323
THE EARLY FREEWILL BAPTISTS.
name of Seth Tirrell, whose "gift of exhortation and prayer" was commended at the monthly meeting May 5, 1796.
The following members were admitted to the church after Elder Young became the pastor and prior to the building of the meeting house.
Job Buzzell, Hubbard Lovering, Bradbury Green, Samuel Robertson, Ezekiel Clough, Moses Lovering, Samuel Jackson, Jr., John Fletcher, John Sleeper, Hannah Kent, Samuel Sleeper, Jr., Mrs. Ezekiel Clough, Benjamin Jackson, Jr., Lydia Wiggin, William Wiggin, Nancy Sleeper, Benjamin Brown, Deborah Young, Ezekiel Gilman, Rene Shaw, Holman Rollins, Polly Jackson, Silas Willey, Mehitable Brown, Samuel Lord, Patience Williams, Josiah Watson, Lois Smith, Daniel Lord, Hannah Whidden, Nathaniel Lougee, Rachael Lord, Noah Wiggin, Betsey Veasey, Jonathan Wiggin, Hannah Small, Josiah Marden, Hannah Whitcher, Jonathan Wadleigh, Mrs. Jonathan Wadleigh, George Arvin, Mrs. Leavitt Clough, Leavitt Clough, Hannah Winslow, Stephen Sutton, Hannah Jackson, Jesse Corbett, Betsey Robertson, John Ingalls, Betsey Fletcher, Archelaus Moore, Abigail Chase.
The completion of their house of worship helped to cement the society into closer bonds of union, but the Freewill Baptists were not yet relieved of their irksome position as dissenters from the established church of Canterbury. Prior to 1805 they were not recognized in New Hampshire as a religious denomination. In December, 1803, there was an article in the warrant of a special meeting held in Canterbury "to see if the town will release from paying the minister's tax the present year all those who have gotten certificates from Mr. (Winthrop) Young's society." A yea and nay vote was taken, only seven being recorded in the affirmative to forty-one in the negative.1
The Rev. I. D. Stewart writing of this period says, "When certificates of regular attendance at Freewill Baptist meetings were presented to a parish collector, they were often disregarded under the plea that the law did not recognize any such meetings, and rather than have a lawsuit, the minister's tax was paid. . When the Loudon and Canterbury church publicly discarded Calvinism, one of its members had just been released from a long and expensive lawsuit in which it was decided that dissenters must pay their assessed tax. A member of the Wolfboro church
1 See Chapter VII.
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HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
refused to pay and his cow was taken. Rev. John Goodwin of Maine had his horse taken for the same reason. It was of little use to resist the parish collector and the taxes were generally paid, but the influence of such taxation was irritating and oppressive." 1
To obviate this, it was first proposed to request of the state an act of incorporation to include all the Freewill Baptist churches of New Hampshire, but after taking legal counsel, it was con- cluded to ask only for an act of the Legislature recognizing them as a religious denomination. This request was granted in 1805 as follows:
"Resolved that the people of the state commonly known by the name of Freewill, Antipedo Baptist Church and Society shall be considered as a distinct religious sect or denomination with all the privileges as such agreeably to the constitution. " 2
Here ended all opposition to those Freewill Baptists who notified the selectmen of their unwillingness to be taxed for the support of the Congregationalists. The Baptists, Methodists and Universalists soon obtained a similar recognition of them- selves.3
As the toleration act was not passed until 1819, the dissenters from the Congregational faith for a period of fourteen years following 1805 had to attach themselves to some religious sect and regularly attend worship on the Sabbath to avoid taxation for the support of the gospel. The Freewill Baptist churches were maintained almost wholly by voluntary contributions, and it is apparent that some individuals were prompted to join that society from no higher motive than to escape taxation. At a church meeting held in Canterbury, December 3, 1807, it was "Voted that those that had certificates, if they do not reform and attend meetings more, we expect not to clear them of taxes any longer." These certificates, if they conformed to the statute, set forth that the holders were members of the Freewill Baptist Church and that they attended its place of worship regularly on the Sabbath. When, therefore, the Canterbury Society served the foregoing notice on its delinquent members, it was uttering no idle threat, for these certificates had to be pre-
1 History Freewill Baptists, by Rev. I. D. Stewart, Vol. I, pages 105, 239.
2 N. H. Laws, 1805.
: History Freewill Baptists, by Rev. I. D. Stewart, Vol I, page 239.
325
THE COMING OF THE OSGOODITES.
sented every year until 1819 if a citizen desired to avoid church taxation.1
During the year 1810 the Canterbury Society took on a new lease of life and greatly added to its membership. The most active of the new members was Dr. Joseph M. Harper, then a young man, who in a few years was to become the leading citizen of the town. Any cause he embraced received his earnest and continued support and the records show that in every emergency of the church he was the leader who piloted it clear of the shoals that threatened its destruction. As both layman and preacher, he labored to promote the welfare of the denomination. His work was interrupted during the War of 1812 by reason of his absence as a surgeon in the army.
Other influential citizens taken into the church about this time were Amos Cogswell and Samuel Ames. From 1813 to 1818 there was apparently but little growth. The clerk of the society was also dormant, for there were but single entries in the record book for the years 1813, 1814 and 1815, while there is an entire hiatus from 1815 to July, 1817. The explanation of this is found in the growth of a new religious sect called the Osgoodites. The founder was Jacob Osgood of Warner. "He was a member of no church," says the Rev. I. D. Stewart, "but his doctrinal views and sympathies were generally with the Freewill Baptists. A proposition for his ordination was declined under the circum- stances. Soon he and his followers renounced all faith in ordina- tions, church organizations and gospel ordinances. They claimed to be the 'saints,' and it was a part of their religion to denounce all denominations in general and the Freewill Baptists in particular." 2
A considerable number of the members of the Baptist Church in Canterbury became followers of this leader, and such inroads were made upon the society that its very existence was at one
1 In the books of the town there was recorded April 27, 1813, by Ezekiel Morrill, town clerk, the following certificate, "This certifies whoever it may concern that Simeon Brown, late of Kingston but now of Canterbury, is a brother in regular standing with the Antipedo Baptist Church of Christ in Brentwood, has been and still is approved by said church as an honest, con- scientious Christian.
"Given under our hands at Brentwood this 11th day of December, 1787. "BENJAMIN JUDKINS,
" LEVI MORRILL.
"Wardens of Said Society."
" See chapter on the Osgoodites.
326
HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
time seriously menaced. A conference was held at the meeting house July 8, 1817, to take into consideration the state of the church. There were present Elder Winthrop Young, Joseph M. Harper, Samuel Hill, Jr., Hugh and Samuel Tallant, Mark and Stephen Davis, James Chase, Archelaus Moore, Noah Wiggin and Noah Sinclair. Few as they were in number, they were for the most part representative men of Canterbury. They voted to search the record of the clerk for members, to have them listed and then by personal work to bring them back into the fold.
A year later a committee was chosen "to visit and labor with certain brothers and sisters who have departed from the faith and joined with the society whose leader is one Jacob Osgood, who we think, teaches the things he ought not and thereby subverts the simple."
The committee reported at the next meeting as follows:
"That we find Brothers Joseph Keniston and Samuel Ames and Sisters Phoebe Ames, Patty Clough, Hannah Ayers, Hannah Haines and Betty Keniston as holding things inconsistent with the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ and denying the ordinances of the New Testament, such as baptism by water, the Lord's Supper, and washing of feet, and further that they do not consider themselves under the watch and care of the church of Christ organized by Elder Winthrop Young.
"That the above mentioned brothers and sisters wish to withdraw all connection with the church above mentioned, as they cannot walk with us. The committee recommend that, agreeably to their request, they be relieved from our care."
Late in the year 1818, Obadiah Morrill of Sanbornton was received into the Canterbury church as a member and as a minister to assist Elder Winthrop Young, whose health was impaired at that time. Samuel Hill, Jr., and Leavitt Clough were elected deacons. The former was set apart as a ruling elder in October, 1820, and at the same time Levi Hill and William Brown were made deacons. Elder Samuel Hill, Jr., was ordained January 18, 1821, and in December of that year it was, "Voted to consider Elder Hill as a ruler and teacher and that he take Elder Young's place in his absence."
The society took a decided stand in favor of temperance in 1822. At a meeting in March it was "Voted that we deem it inconsistent and unbecoming the character of a Christian on any occasion to mix with or to be found drinking or in any way
327
THE DENOMINATIONAL NAME.
associating with the drunken at a tavern or grog shop, especially on a holy day . also that we consider it indispensably nec- essary to refrain from the use of spirits in a great measure and to endeavor to use our influence to restrain drunkenness and sin of every kind."
August 10, 1822, the records show that the church consisted of sixty male and ninety-six female members, forty of whom had been added since the previous May.
The society was incorporated in 1823. This action was prompted by a gift to it of $500 by one of its members, Leavitt Clough. In the New Hampshire Patriot appears the following religious notice :
Agreeable to an act of the legislature of New Hampshire passed July 1, 1819, Jeremiah Clough, Amos Cogswell, Mark Davis and their associates have formed themselves into a church to be hereafter known as the First Church of Christ in Canterbury.
JOSEPH M. HARPER, Clerk.
Canterbury, May 8, 1823.
The denominational name here assumed dates back to the early days of the Freewill Baptists. "All of the first ministers," says the Rev. I. D. Stewart, "had been members of the Baptist denomination and they still claimed to be. They wanted no distinctive name. Hence their records for several years speak of them simply as Baptist ministers and Baptist churches. They did, however, often refer to themselves as 'The Church of Christ' and Buzzell's Religious Magazine published in 1811 claims this as the appropriate name of the denomination.
"As they everywhere declared that God had made a general provision for the salvation of men, they were opprobriously called 'General Provisioners.' As they declared that the will of man was free, they were more generally and derisively called 'Freewillers.' Other names such as 'Randallites,' 'New Lights,' and 'Open Communionists' were given them by their enemies, while they gave themselves no name save that of Baptists, Antipedo Baptists or Church of Christ, but neither of these names was allowed them. They often speak of themselves in the early records as 'The Community.' As the church at New Durham, of which Randall was pastor, was the oldest, and as his counsel was everywhere sought, the term New Durham Connection was sometimes given to the denomination. The certificates issued by the ordaining council to (Micajah) Otis and
328
HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
others in 1799 speak of no less than five of the above names, and they begin as follows:
" 'This certifies that of -- , being a regu- lar member of the Church of Christ, commonly known by the name of the New Durham Church, also a member of The Com- munity in general, commonly termed General Provisioners or Freewill Baptists, was ordained' etc.
"The term Freewill Baptist continued to be used only occa- sionally until 1805, when the denomination was acknowledged by the New Hampshire legislature with that title. Many would have preferred Free Baptists as a more expressive and appropriate name, since the denomination not only believed in free will but free salvation and free communion." 1
In January, 1829, the clerk of the Canterbury church makes the following notation in his record, "Elder John Harriman moved to this place in the month of March last. Since that our num- bers in meeting have increased." A revival occurred later at which one hundred were converted. At the May conference it was "Voted that Elder Harriman be received as a minister to watch over the church and labor with us." In September he was in a quandary as to his official connection with the society. This doubt was solved by making him an assistant to Elder Winthrop Young, with the cordial approval of the latter and of Elder Sam- uel Hill. A year later there was a unanimous vote to continue Elder Harriman's relations with the society. For six years the society continued under his leadership with cordial relations existing between pastor and people. Doubts then began to arise in the church as to the theological views of their minister. At a meeting January 18, 1836, Doctor Harper gave expression to the feelings of the members by introducing the following reso- lution :
"Resolved that it is not expedient to give the watch and care of this church to an elder or teacher of any other sect or denomi- nation."
The subject was considered at length and Elder Harriman was interrogated by written questions as to his belief. Without reaching a conclusion, the conference adjourned, nor was any defi- nite action taken until two years later. It was evident, however, that the leading members of the church were not satisfied with
1 History of Freewill Baptists, by Rev. I. D. Stewart, Vol. I, pages 173-176.
329
THE SOCIETY NAME CHANGED.
their elder's profession of faith, and at a meeting March 16, 1838, he "was relieved of the watch and care of the church at his own request." 1
The church now supplied from its own ranks its preachers. In 1834, the conference "approbated the gifts" of Joseph and Jeremiah Clough and Jonathan Ayers and, a month after Elder Harriman ceased to be its leader, the church "Voted that Joseph M. Harper, Joseph Clough and Jeremiah Clough be presented to the council for ordination." In September, 1840, they were ap- pointed "to take the pastoral care of the church for six months or until otherwise ordered."
At the annual meeting in 1836 the name of the society had been changed to "The First Freewill Baptist Church of Christ in Canterbury." Its membership at that time embraced not only residents in the town of its location, but also people who dwelt in Loudon and Northfield. The monthly gatherings were held at the church, at Hill's Corner and at Oak Hill in Northfield. The members from these several localities are classed in the rec- ords as the "Old Monthly Meeting," the "East Monthly Meeting" and the "West Monthly Meeting." It was near this time that the names of David M. Clough and Edward Osgood first appear in the records of the church, men who later were to become its leading supporters.
Advance ground was taken by the Freewill Baptist Society of Canterbury in 1840 and 1841 in favor of temperance. Members of the church who used or sold intoxicating liquors were first admonished and then, if the admonition was not heeded, excluded from fellowship.
In 1841 the subject of slavery came up for consideration. At a conference held in January, Dr. Joseph M. Harper offered the following resolution:
"Resolved That slavery is in direct opposition to the self evident truth that all men have certain inalienable rights, also that it is inconsistent with the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and, therefore, should not be tolerated by the Church of God.
1 Elder Harriman towards the close of his ministry with this society was holding meetings at the Center, for at the annual town meeting in 1837 it was voted that he "have entire control of the town house every fourth Sunday when the Rev. William Patrick preaches at the East part." This vote for some reason, was rescinded the next year.
330
HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
"Resolved That we as a church of Christ can not fellowship any person as a Christian or receive him at our communion or admit him into our midst who holds property in his fellow men, or who advocates the doctrine that it is right to buy and sell a human being, who is guilty of no crimes, for whom Christ died."
The record which was made by Doctor Harper, as clerk, says, "After remarks by several of the brethren and some objection by Brother Samuel Hill, the resolutions were passed unanimously, that is, no one voted in the negative."
Jonathan Ayers, who had become a preacher in the Freewill Baptist denomination, asked in 1840 for a letter of dismissal to join the Congregational Church at Gilmanton. He had entered the theological school connected with the academy in that town. A very interesting correspondence followed between him and a committee of the Baptist Church, which is spread upon the records. It shows that Mr. Ayers entertained very liberal views for his time and that he was bold in proclaiming his right to fel- lowship with all denominations of Christians. The church at Canterbury, while at first questioning its authority to comply with his request by reason of his being a recognized minister of the Freewill Baptist denomination, finally granted his dismissal.
In 1842 the work of the ministry was divided among the elders of the church by requesting Doctor Harper and Elder Samuel Hill to officiate one fourth of the time each and Elder Jeremiah Clough the remainder of the year. This arrangement appears to have continued until 1847, when Elder Clough was invited to assume the pastorate. The invitation was declined by him as being a work beyond his capacity to perform, requiring as it did attend- ance at three services of worship on Sunday and four regular monthly meetings. Recognizing his objection, the society elected him to be pastor of simply the "Old Monthly Meeting" or that part of the society which worshiped at the church in Canterbury. The interest of the funds of the society was divided, two fifths being retained by Elder Clough's congregation and the remainder being divided between the East and West Monthly Meetings.
The records in 1845 show the membership of the church to have been 334. The ordained elders at that time connected with the society were Joseph M. Harper, Jeremiah Clough, Joseph Clough and William Plummer Chase. As a licentiate and itinerant preacher, the name of Uriah Chase is given.
331
EFFORTS FOR A TRAINED MINISTRY.
Especial mention is made in the records between 1840 and 1850 of Elders Moores Cole, Samuel T. Catlin and Stephen Coffin as visiting the community and laboring with the church. In 1843 Benjamin Morrill was elected a deacon.
All through the records of the early days of the Freewill Bap- tists in Canterbury there is an "approbation of gifts" of members of the church to preach the gospel. Here as elsewhere there was a sturdy belief in the direct call from on high to the individual to labor for the salvation of souls and that the laborer would receive his inspiration and instruction from the same source, regardless of the limitation of his education. The attitude of the Canterbury Baptists towards special training for the ministry is expressed in the formal reply in 1850 to a call made upon them for financial assistance to a theological seminary of the denomination that had been established at Whitestown, New York. The clerk of the society was requested to answer the call, and his reply was . formally approved before being sent.
For the first eighty years of its existence the pastors of the church in Canterbury contributed their services. Occasionally in the records there is a notation of offerings to some evangelist who had tarried with the flock for a few days. Dr. Joseph M. Harper and Elders Jeremiah and Joseph Clough, who for so many years supplied the desk, were men of means, who cheerfully exemplified their faith by gratuitous preaching. They were also men of abil- ity and education, and, while not serving any novitiate or prepara- tion for the ministry, they were nevertheless interesting speakers. Their knowledge of the Bible was acquired by constant study, and the interpretation they gave of its texts was in accord with the belief of those who heard them. Their labors in the pulpit were supplemented by practical benevolences to their fellowmen. Blessed as the church in Canterbury was with such able, though untrained ministers, it is not surprising that the members of the society viewed with apprehension a preparatory school for the ministry, especially as the fervor of these lay preachers was in contradistinction to the more formal sermons of the educated clergy of the Congregational Church. Nor were they forgetful of early persecutions when they were looked upon by the Congre- gationalists as religious fanatics and outlaws and were refused admission to the places of worship of the latter. With these facts in mind, the extracts here quoted from the reply made by the
332
HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
society to this appeal to help maintain a theological school will be understood. After remarking that the church in Canterbury had not changed its views in regard to the usages and customs of the primitive Freewill Baptist Church, "as many others have," they say,
"We can see no good reason why God can not take men from the fishing net, workshop or plow and make efficient min- isters of them now as well as thirty, forty, fifty or eighteen hun- dred years ago. We can not see why a proud hireling priesthood is not as injurious to the church in these present times as in former years when Freewill Baptist preachers were not permitted to preach in school houses or meeting houses if they could possibly be prevented. We think, as far as our knowledge extends, that those ministers most intimately connected with that institution (the theological school in New York) are doing most to change the former customs and usages of the Freewill Baptists, and that the time is not far distant when a man to be a Freewill Baptist minister will be necessitated to pass through all the various institutions of learning and obtain certificates from the various authorities, as do the Congregationalists. · Such a state of things we can not give our aid to bring about."
Other objections to a trained ministry as set forth in the com- munication of the Canterbury church were that "a scientific edu- cation produced spiritual death," that it substituted "popular literature for the spirit and power of God," that "it failed of its object," that "literary men were grossly ignorant of practical life," that it bred vanity and extravagance in the ministry and that "it costs more to support one such than two humble, devoted, faithful servants of God."
Then, that their refusal should not be attributed to a parsi- monious spirit and that their answer was in accordance with their light, these Canterbury brethren conclude, "You are aware there is wealth in this church, and we hope to do good with it. If we could be convinced that it was our duty to give to the support of the Whitestown Theological School, we would cheerfully do it. If we are wrong, we are sincerely so. If you view us as wrong, we hope you will give information and try to put us right."
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