USA > New Hampshire > New Hampshire churches and the American Revolution > Part 5
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awakening' there, as a result.
of their respective churches at Londonderry until well into the Revolutionary period. * (3) Rev. Eleazer. Wheelock, +the Church at Dartmouth College. *
(3) Then, in 1770, Eleazer Wheelock founded Dartmouth College at Hanover,
on the Connecticut, River, he at once proceeded to organize a Presbyterian Church of which he, himself, was 2.stor. Not only was Theelock President of the College
1. Lawrence, The New H. Churches, p. 89.
2. He attained such distinction that he was invited to take charge of the only Presbyterian Church then in New York (City ) New H. Repository, I, 186. 3. 02. Cit., p. 41.
4. Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit, 111, 28.
* Dolores Bacon Says:"In no other instance do we find a simultaneo eous beginning of educational +ecclesiastical interests"
Old new E. Churches 6. 408.
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and Pastor of the Church; aut he .. lao hald the office of onief Kisistrite over the College Gr nt (a district three miles s.uare). Public worship .t Hinovor h.s always been held by citizens and students in common. The original church comprised mon; its members the Presbyterians of three towns, namely, Hinovor, Norwich, mi Hartford. Seryloos seem to biva bean hold alternately between the College Chapel and the "Dothin Meeting-house" la Bartford, "heelock's church whe for a lon; time the leading orginization in the Grafton Presbytery; and when it was being changed over Ermm its Presbyterian form of disciple to the congre- Sitionil platform, thuro mis a great deal of bitterness And dissatisfaction .rmsad - the results of which were seen in the great controversy : 1816-17, between the College and the state of Her Rumapshira. From the time that Thelook first come to New Hampshire, ho wis, undoubtedly, the leading Presbyterian minister of that state - as MesFragore and Davidson were both well advanced in yours by that time. Ta shill have considerably more to say of him in several of the following chapters.
(4) Presbyterian Affiliations of Man Humpantra Presbyteriana.
(a) A glance it our Zap (see inside of back cover) will show that the Presbyterian Churches of How E mpshire fell into two groups - a westora Group around Hinover, on the Connectiout, and a central group around Londonderry, on the ferrimick. The question n_tur illy arises; are these two groups organized into two separate Presbytories? In the case of the #mar western churches we can say definitely that they formed a part of the Grafton Presbytery which, from aboat 1770 on, comprised - dozen or more churches in both W.w Hampshire ind Varsont. But the early records of this Presbytery were destroyed in a fire; so there is 2 little additional information that we can furnish hara.
(b) When, however, we turn to the tan churches in and around London-
derri we are confronted by a real historical curiosity, for the original Presby-
1. Belknap, Eist, of Raw E., 1, 341.
2. Lawrence, The Now B. Churchas, p. 538.
* This group was called "The Church of Christ at Dartmouth College. It. has sent forty an amazing number of great men' (Bacon, p.408)
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tery of Londonderry wis set up in Boston (about 1529); 1
whereas the Presbytery of Boston was organized at Londonderry ( in 1645).
2 To add to the confusion, 3 the Presbytery of Boston met alternitoly in both of those places;and tho histo- rian 3laikie puts the finishing touch to the ipmeral mix-up by referring to
these bodies is the Prosbytery at Boston, etc. But thanks to Briggs, we are able to reconstruct the general situation, with tolerable accuracy, as follows:
(c) The original Londonderry Presbytery was composed of some three or more ministers: (1) Le Mercier - the Pistor of the French Huguenot Church in Boston; (2) Reverend Edward Fitzgerald, of "orcaster, Massachusetts, and overand Imes
4 HanGramore of Londonderry, New Hampshire. a seat to Reverend David Vedragore of Londonderry, so he and his group set up the 6 Presbytery of Boston, in 1745. Those rival Presbyteries continued siue by sido 7 8: 8
This first orginization luter rotasod
until 1755, when the original Presbytery of Londonderry ceased to function
leaving the Presbytery of Boston as sole arbiter for Now Agland Presbyterians until 1771. In that year a small organization was set up, "The Presbytery to the Eastward" but none of the New Hampshire churches a pest to have joined it not even the tuo which hyl belonged to the (them defunct ) Presbytery of London- 9 In 1775, the Presbytery of Boston met at Seabrook and constituted it- carry.
self & Synod - dividin; into three Presbyteries. It's nume was "The synod of Ker Englund". 10 As Blaikle, Briggs, and Lawrence all disagree from this point on,
1. Briss, American Presbyterianis, p. 228.
2. Ibid., p. 635.
3. Bisikle, Presoytarianism in Now enri und, p. 109.
4. Bris38, pp. 228 w 163, (Cb. cit.)
5. lbid., 9. 229.
6. Ibid., p. 335.
7. Said., p. 337, ani footnote.
8. Morrison, in his Hist. of Indan, Ha N. (p. 125) says that it expired by depletion (1765), and that it was nicknamed "The Irish Presbytery".
9. Sprague, munils of the merican ulpit, III, p. XVI.
10. 31 ikie, Presby. in lips tooloud, p. 168.
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we shall not concern ourssives with the Prosuyterial affiliations of tho so churches subsequent to 1775. The situation,-s is existed in the eurly purt of that year, ic show, as follows:
(a)
PRESBYTERIAL CORSECTIONS OF SE2 3 MP SHIRE CHURCHES
I. Under the Boston Erssbytamy (until 1775)
1. Londonderry, Ist Ch. (D. HeGregora) Brigs, pp. 282 and 337.
2. Benbrook --- -(Rev. S. Parley) Lawrence, p. 133.
Windham -- 9. 144.
4. Peterborough - (Por. John Morrison) - 31.Lkie, p. 128.
5. Bedford - (J. Houston) ------- Lawrence, =>. 156-7.
5. Francestown : - Contrato, Hist. of Framestom, p. 227.
7. Hadson (or Nott. "ast) - Rov. J. strickici - 31_iklo, p. 168.
é. Pembroxo (Rev. D. Mitchell) - Bizikie, 2. 168.
9. Salam (Rov. inar 3.1ley) Liwransa, p. 13) ind Bliikia, pp. 163-4.
Unilor the Grafton Presbytery - (1770-)
1. Xinover (R)v. 3, "honlock) hurence, 2. 538.
2. Orford (ne7. Obadiah Noble] PF. 555-8.
3. Einover Centre (Zden Burroughs )" .. 539, 4. Boscawen (until 1774, at least )" c. 349. 1
III. isler the original Presbytery of Londonderry (till 1765)
1. Londonderry, zni Che ( m. Dividaon) 31 xla, p. 131. Chestor (Ray. John "ilson) Briggs, p. 229.
17. Presbyterlal Consation unkovu: -
1. Mas Boston (Rav. Solomon Hoore) formerly the "New Boston Addition" of Francestory and therefore probably tuder the Boston Presbytery.
(5) The fact that our Table is incaiplote is largely due - no doubt - (2)
to the loss of the oufly records of the rest parish of Londonderry. As thia church (under Rev. MeGregors) was the leading member of the Presbytery of Boston, there is small wonder that the status of one of the churches of the Londonderry group cannot be ascertained. To find, however, tro briof references to charos
1. But after his dismissal, in 1774, Esverand Lithmiel Warrill joined the Synod of New England, 1775, thus changing Mis affiliations (3laikie, 168).
2.0 K) See Supplementary Hote, p. 44, and lawrenos, p. 88.
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affairs in the Early (form) Records of Londonderry", New Hamshire. The first, under dte of October 24, 1730, 3Lys; 'Voted . . . that we will not sonl u Cos- 1
missioner to the next Presbytery to be held at Boutca". Ming years later wo find : "The proprietors, freeholders und inhabitants of Londonderry voted 'that they will scheur and agree to the Rules of the Presbyter which is to be held at
Londonderry . in the choiso of a minister of the Gospel to labour amongst
2
then". Time was, however, when these sturdy notch-Irish immigrants had got- ten along very well without any prosbytorial oversight: for,
"At the time Raverand James WasGregory was called to the charch at Darry (1719) there was no Presbytery in All New Jagland. is he couldn't be installed in trus Presbyterian style, the meople cheerfully conformed - for the time sslug - to the principle of In aveauangy"
(6) But even winen Prosbytories were established, thay su mely averted a Enifying influence upon the churches of New Hampshire. Instead, thay bound the New Hampshire Presbyterians to Vermont, on the one hind, al to Massachusetts And "sine on the other. 4 Thus, whatover 'titude individual Presbyterian minis-
tors may have hau towards the Revolution, their influence cannot haw had sa far-
reaching an effect as it could have had ware the churches united under one agmod.
6
(?) "han we will to mind the truit of obstinacy in the Bootch christer, it seans stringe that Presbyterians should not have held their own, in How HAmo- shire. Morrison characterizes one group of them as follows: "The Scotch sutclara at "Andhum were of a stern and rugged type na clung to the tenets of the Preaby- 6 terian Church with an obstinacy ainu devotion but little short of bigotry". hive already called attention to Miss Lemley's explanation as to why Presbyterians
1. Manchester Historical isso0, Collections, V., 118.
2. Ibid., p. 225.
3. Lawrence, The How He Crunches, Do 39.
4. See Freeman's "Sketch of Prosbytorianism in Maine" in The New H. Repository, 1, 253.
5. Saa Lawrance, p. 144 for an example of some slight connection between How Hampshire Presbyterians and the synod of Philadelphia.
6. Morrison, Hist. of indham, p. 122.
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were so easily assimilated into the Congregational syster. Although liew Imp. shire Presbyterians met with less opposition thin those in Massachusetts, they still had the sume stern church law to face; but that they held their ground Maine better than the Presbyterians in either Him or Kassichusetts is evidenced by the fact that is late is 1810 ~ they still hid a General association in Now Ramp- 1
shire, and thit a pian of union was drawn up between it and the General Assembly.
(supplementary note on the Presbyteriang)
Although the original records of the session of the Test parish of Londonderry have been Ist, those of the dust parish are still reserved. Parker - writing in 1851-hau access to these church records which he says dato back to Juno, 1723. He gives a member of extracts from these shoring how care- fully the session disciplined varicus mombers. Among; the offenses for which these Scotch-Irish pioneers were "churched", Are included (1) 'giving' the lie to one's father' (2) 'unjustiable expressions of a profano character' (3) drunkenness. And one case of discipline concerned a man who left an axo lying in the road, instead of demyin; it to the next tavern - as custom required. Of these curly Presbyterians, Parkar says; "no people were more distin uishod for sound Christian doctring and order" (list. of Londonderry, pp. 133-5).
1. A Digest Compiled from the Records of the Presbyterian Church in the U. s. a. and from the Records of the late wood of New York nd Phila- delphia, pp. 303-4.
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OUTLINE OF CHAPTER FOUR
THE REVOLT AGAINST THE STANDING ORDER AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BAPTIST CHURCHES AND VARIOUS SEOTS
Pago
The Revolt 46
(1) Gonoral Religions ferment which proceeded it
(2) Specific causes for the Revolt
(a) The narrow interpretation of the law of 1714
(b) Agitation against church taxes
(c) The influence of whitefield's preaching
(d) Racial and social divisions in cortala tomms
(3) Relation between the revolt and the Baptist movement
B. The Establishment of the Baptist Churches 50
(1) Rachel Seamon's 50 years of seed-Sowing
(2) The first organized church at Newton
(3) Persecutions of the Baptists
(4) The Revival of 1770
(5) Dr. Shepard's conversion; his plan of church extension
(6) The Revival of 178)
(7) Rhode Island Missionaries visit Naw Hampshire
(8) The movement spreads to other denominations
(9) Results of exemptions from Church Taxes
(10) The struggle for Religions Liberty
(11) Baptist affiliations in New Hampshire and Now England
(12) The most significant feature of their Organisation
C. The Lesser Scots .
. 56
(1) The Sandemintans
(2) The Free-Will Baptista
(3) The Shakera, et al.
-
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CHAPTER FOUR
THE REVOLT AGAINST THE STANDING ORDER SHD TAS ESTABLISHMENT OF BAPTIST CHURCHES AND VARIOUS SMUTS
* A. THE REVOLT
(2) £ Jeneril Rali ions Forment which Procekded it.
"From 1750-1790", says Hurd, "there existed great unousiness in the reli- ious mind. Not a few were rostive undor whit seemed stild orthodoxy. The people cenarilly revelled in unrestrained liberty, and this p_ssion for liberty ran into extravagance. There was a wila prejudica a; dnat whutover had the least claim to ntiquity, whether in doctrines or in customs. lenco new lights spring up, wild and fant stic notions wore entart dined, and customs, or mouss of expression and worship cuze into vo_ue that contrasted strangely with what was reproachfully tarmed the 'Standing Order'." 1
(2) Specific Causes for the Revolt.
(a) A more specific cause for the revolt is to be found in the narrow interpret ation put upon the Church Law of 1714. "Everybody"', guys Laust, was taxed; whenever . Dissenter claimed exemption he was asked to prove that he was 2 & Dissenter. it every point his evidence was contested by the State". towards near reluctance st paying Church tuxes greatly increased in New Hampshire Moment the end of the eighteenth century: "The demand increased for 'poll parishes'", says Stackpole; i.e., a group of individuals pledged to the voluntary support of a 3 +4 - .. . minister chosen by themselves.
(b) The way in which the revolt against church taxation amifested itself, in various torna, can best be illustrated in the case of Gilmanton. Here the inhabitants were very harmoniousafor several years, in regard to raising their minister's salary. But when other denominations Juined a foot in; there, "a disposition was manifested to throw off the town's obligations to the it and- in; Order". First, a proposal was made to hiv assessors and a collector of the
1. Hard, Hist. of Rock, in Straff. Counties, p. 428.
2. Lauer, Church ny State in im in lund, p. 89.
3. stackpole, Mist, of War., II, 009-10.
* The Revolt was in part a preliminary, and in part, a consequence of the intro- duction of the Baptist Church into How Huapshire.
Humphrey says: "The Americanizing of Christianity was largely a process by which the established churches were shorn of their vested privileges.
47
ministerial tax separate from the selectmen and constables, who made and collect- ed the other taxes. Then, an effort was made to divide the avails of the minister- fal lands smony; the different societies. Finally, during a period of five years, no ministerial tax was laid out. Another instance of this state of ferment was 1 at Barrington, where various sects 'caused great confusion whenever a tow resting 2 & 3 was bald to settle a minister according to the laws of the Province'. And the Howton Baptists carried on a lawsuit for several years, to secure exemption from these taxes."
(e) Another element that led to religious revolt was the cold, narrow type of "Arminian" theology which most of the churches had grown into (or adopted) aml the contrasting type of emphasis on a vital, personal 'experience of religion', as preached by Borards ud "hitefield. Indeed, the Great Awakoning, as well as the series of subsequent revivals, was one of the prime causes of the revolt against "the established charsh' - in spite of the fact that Whitefield, himself, was a 4 clergymin of the Church of England. In 1945, Whitefield mide his first visit to Portsmouth and says in his diary that the preached to a polite auditory but so
unconcerned that he began to question whether he had ogen speaking to rational or
5
ozate creatures'.
Ha also visited Exeter whore his preaching caused a split in
the Congregational church, whose minister had "solemnly warmed and charged white-
6 fiald against preaching in his parish". The great preacher penetrated the northern wilderness as far west as Londonderry, And brought revival blessings to the 7 Whitefield's last visit to New Hampshire
Presbyterian church under David HoGregore.
1. Lawrence, The New E. Churskas, p. 491.
2. Scales, Hist, of straff. Co., p. 381.
3. The revolt dysinst the Tax is also showa in Pembroke. £ In 1763, the Presby-
tarians of that town formally petitioned General assembly (i.e., tha Legis- Lature) to szempt them from the Church tax (Laws of Ham H., II, p. 337)
4. Whitefield is hard to classify, as he said is said to be also the founder of the Calvinist Zethodlsts (Americana, Vol. 22).
5. Stackpole, Hist. of How E., II, 313.
6. Lawrence, Tas New H. Churches, 50.
7. Op. Cit., p. 41.
. In Kingston, both ackers ind Baptists refused to pay church taxes in 1757. ( Joe Hurd, Hist. of Rock, and Straff. Counties, p. 372.)
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was in 1770, when (on the day before his death) he preached at Exeter 'to a vast assembly that as coursh could contain'. stackpole says;
"Miny of the leiding ministers of Now Impshire had no more sympathy with the preschia; : nitefield than equally food ministers have now with that of Billy Sunday. But sinners wars soundly converted, in both cases, and nothing is so convincing; is success", 1 & 2
One of Whitefield's favorite themes wia the unconverted ministry, And he did not hesitate to izcindy some of the New Hampshire clergy in his broadsides of condem- nation - thms hastaning the break-down of the standing order.
(d) mother element which contributed to the revolt was radial und social divisions in certain of the towns. In Nutfield, "the English churchmen were in a minority and wore greatly milimmed by the Scotch who came to America as disaffected ind aggrieved occupants of confiso ted lunds in the northern 3 counties of Ir:" zd, daspiring the Irish . . . und hating' the english". willey
Says that, 'in 1720,s larp proportion of the colonists of Hutfield were complain- in; about the chifctar of the men that were oein; invited to settle upon the late divisions of and'. At one time 'the sentiment of the town ran so directly against the actions of the immigration committee ( or Immigration Bureau) that meeting was called to protest'; and they soon put a stop to my more promiscuous settling :ithis sasir sacred precincts. 4 And in Derryfield , we find that 'a religious wars' - between the Congregationalists and Presbyterians - 'and ga un as ourly as 1751 - to be transplanted to other soenes by this set of incorporation of the maw town' (of Derryfield).
1. Stackpole, Mist, of How He, II, 314.
2. Whitefield also preached in the Old South Church of Portsmouth in 1770, und
brought aces a revival thre. Burd, Hist. of Rock, mis Str.ff, "oustieg, p.84.
3. Manchester Historic Assoc. Collections, VI, (Introduction, p. VI. )
4. Willey's box of Outfield, p. 9.
5. Manchaster Est. 13800. Collections, VIII, p. 20 (note). Derryfield (now
Manchester, comprised part of the u. ... portion of Londonderry - formerly called Natfield [was p. 1 of the Introduction to Vol. VIII).
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(Prefatory Note on the Baptists)
Although the Bibliography on the Baptists seems to oe more abundant thin thit for any other denomination, we were unable to fully reconcile the dita given by various authorities on the New Empshire Baptists. To be sure, there was one piece of source material to which we did not have access (I. a. Allen's Triennial Baptist Reister, Vol.' I, of which could not be found). Aside from this. wo oolievo we have exhausted the Bibliography on the subject without arriving at vory mich agreement wither as to the member of churches, in 1776, or the way in mnich they were organized.
Mr. Harlan C. Pearson, Editor of the Granite Monthly, recently said;
"iny individual investigator - whatever the field of New Ramp- shire history he may choose for his work - will find ruch now round to be traversed, as well as many old mistakes to be cor- rostad. " 1
Instead of correcting old mistakes, we fear we may have made some new ones - especially so far as the Biptists and Quakers re on cerned: Should this volume fall into the hands of someone able to uis- cover any such, we would appreciate having our attention called to what- ever deficiencies or errors may be noted in any part of this volume.
Cummings gives the following data, the accuracy which we are unable to check :- of
(1) Rev. Wm. Hooper was pastor at Madbury, 1768-98.
(2) The Hopkinton Church was-' gathered' by Rev. Joshua Smith. (3) Rev. Ebenezer Mack moved to Marlow in 1768; in 1778, Rev. Caleb Blood was ordained their pastor.
(Baptist Churches in New H; pp. 8-9)
1. Granite Monthly LII (1920), 452.
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3. THS ESTABLISHIENT OF BAPTI JA CHURCHES
(2) The strange way in which the Baptist church was introduced into New Hampshire lands a special interest to this denomination. Burly Baptist in- 1 fluences ut Dover und Kittery had entirely disappeared when Rachel Thurber Soammon - a devout believer in Baptist doctrines - suttled with her husband ut Stratham, New Hampshire (1720). During the next rirty years she carried on d quiet work mons har friends and neighbors, but obtained only one convert. But shortly after her death, a revival took place; and Dr. Samuel shepard was con- varted by means of one of the books which she had distributed in Str.then and ad joining toms.
(2) The first organized church of New Hampshire Baptists was formed at Newton in 1750-55 - though soms writers say that the Dover Church of 1641 (under Hanserd Knollys) was essentially Baptist in its creed. Cutmart says that"Knollys was recognized by the people of Dover is a decided exponent of Baptist principles; the result was two religions communities. After Knollys' return to England, those of the Dover church who had esponsed Baptist principles 2
fled to Long Island, and thence to New Jersey. Of the Newton Church, there are no records extant until 1767, when two of its members became involved in law- 3 suits - "on account of rates imposed on them by the standing Order". This suit lusted for three years, but we have no record us to which side won, "who 4 Newton Church was dissolved in 1765, at the time that the Haverhill (Massachusetts ) Baptist Church was organized", says Backas. "e are Double to reconcile .. rmitio's
1. The Kittery Baptists had or jinized a church in 1682, and hold a quasi-'council' with the Boston Baptists. But being persecuted, the justor and most of his church soom ramoved to South Carolina. Allison, Baptist You cils in Mario, p. 21, and St sokpole, Old Kittery und Her ? ilies, p. 207.
2. "They called their new home in New Jersey 'Piscatamuy' - iftor the original name of Dover', Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia, p. 835.
3. maitage, Hist, of the Baptists - to 1789, p. 765.
4. Backus, Hist, of the Baptista, II, bab.
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reference to the Nowton Church Renards of 1757 with this church dissolution, in 1765, except by assuming that during this period most of the Newton Baptista worshipped at Haverhill, but ratained their group entity in civil affairs - es- peciully in resistance to church taxes. Church quurrals - onding in the dis- missal of their pastor, Reverend Pator Powers - histand its disruption.
( C) But taxes and law-suits ware not the only things that the Baptists had to contend with; they met with open persecution and abuse in some of the towna. When two evangelista were praching at Peperall, New Hampshire, they met by the side of a river - for convenience in baptizing - and within in enclosed field. interrupted But "a large mob broke into the field and intarapted Mr Fletcher in ats sermon, while a dog was carried and plunged into the river in evident contempt of their mode of baptism". The chief officera of the town wary lu ders of the mob. 1
(4) 'bout the time that 3 ptist churches bogen to multiply. thay ce_sed
to be objects of popular suspicion und ridicule. It Is this earlier movement which the historian, Buckus, refers to when he says,
"The revival of 1764 (in Massachusetts ) sprasd into sever 1 towns in Leu Hampshire - until Nr. mith of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was sent for und he baptized 38 persons in one week, June, 1770. Pourteen of the were the Congregationil minister and the majority of nis churgh in Deer- field - who were settled as a Bantist Church the same month".
(5) It was not until Dr. Shepard's conversion in 1770, that the Baptist movement begin to gain real headway. While visiting in the home of one of his patients, Shepard picked up a copy of Horton's book on immersion, - one handrod copies of which Mrs. Soamcon hud distributed in and around stratham. This book led to his conversion to Baptist uostrines (though he was siready a Congregation- alist). 3 In less than seven years after Dr. Shopard's ordinition as a Baptist preaghen he had the largest church ever collected uxxler ona p.stor in New England.
1. Books, Bist. of the Bartists, II, 536. moid., 11, 535.
3. Armitage, Hist. of the Bautista, pp. 363-5.
4. Sprague, Annals of the Amer. Pulpit, VI, 136.
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The church which he organized at Brentwood is said to have been the first permanent Baptist Church in New Hampshire.
1 Reverend M'r shepard's plan of church extension wis to furnish branch churches to the one of which ho was the ?stor. These new churches were supplied with pustors - wherever such were available - but, says Sprague, "Brentwood w .. s their Jerusulen to which they used frequently to repair. There Dr. Shepard resided like a bishop in the midst of his diocess", In his active jours ha frequently mide a 200-mile circuit among the Baptist Constituency. "Through a wide-spread region of the country he was followed and admired oy a miti- 2 tude, and everywhere revivals and conversions attested the power of his ra ching". Cummings- in his Sermon-Address on New Hampshire Baptists-says;
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