USA > New Jersey > Union County > Scotch Plains > History of the Scotch Plains Baptist Church from its organization on the fifth of August 1747 to its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary on the fifth of August 1897 > Part 1
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Scotch Plains
Baptist Church
1897.
History from its Organization August 5th, 1247 to its 150th Anniversary on August 5th, 1897.
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 02735 0658
Gc 974.902 Sco81PA PARKS, J. H. B. 1829. HISTORY OF THE SCOTCH PLAINS BAPTIST CHURCH FROM ITS
THE SCOTCH PLAINS BAPTIST CHURCH. ERECTED 1870.
HISTORY
of the
Scotch Plains Baptist Church
from its
Organization on the Fifth of August 1747
to its
One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary
on the Fifth of August 1897
Prepared by Rev. J. H. Parks, D. D. and Judge James D. Cleaver and published by the Church
Scotch Plains, new Jersey * 1897 -
PRESS OF A. D. BEEKEN, 19 WARREN ST., N. Y.
·
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
The trustees of the Scotch Plains Baptist Church adopted the following Preamble and Resolutions, Feb. 12, 1896:
"Whereas the One hundred and fiftieth Anni- versary of the organization of this Church will arrive in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven, and will be a period in the history of the Old Church, which ought of right and of gratitude to God, to be marked with suitable and appropriate ceremonies of observance, congratulation and thankfulness;
And, Whereas, in the opinion of this Board, it would be a fitting item of such a celebration to have prepared for permanent preservation a con- densed history of the life and prominent events which have marked her career;
Therefore, be it Resolved, that Dr. James H. Parks and Judge James D. Cleaver be, and they are hereby appointed to go over the records of the Church and of this Board from the date of the founding of the Church down to the date of the Anniversary in 1897, and collate and arrange in Chronological order the prominent and interesting events which have come to the Church in her long and eventful career, as the first Standard bearer of religion in this Community-as the Mother of Churches, and as one of the pillars of piety, law, liberty of conscience and civil order for the State.
Resolved, that the paper so prepared shall, when approved by this Board be printed for distribution on the Anniversary day aforesaid; and afterwards, together with the observances of the day be put into a Souvenir volume to be sold to any persons desiring to have them."
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The Committee have accordingly endeavored to prepare a reliable History as to facts and dates.
They acknowledge valuable help received from the History of Baptists, by Dr. Armitage, The Baptist Encyclopedia by Dr. Cathcart, The Bi- Centennial of the Piscataway Baptist Church, The One hundred and fiftieth Anniversary of the Hightstown Baptist Church, The Minutes of the Philadelphia, New York and East New Jersey Associations; as well as from the memories of some of the older members of the Scotch Plains Church.
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HISTORY.
There are many human organizations which have so ennobled humanity and exemplified great principles of truth, that their history deserves to be recorded and perpetuated. Though they were originated by human foresight only, yet their existence and usefulness will ever be held in grateful remembrance.
But the Church of Christ is not a human organ- ization. It is one of the Divine institutions among men. It was divinely organized. Its laws and discipline were divinely enacted. Its officers were divinely appointed and its members are divinely qualified. Hence we come to the study of the history of a Christian Church with a peculiar interest. We are tracing the dealings of God with his people. We are scanning the efficiency of a divinely appointed means, to the accomplishment of its end, and we are recording the degree of faithfulness with which the Church has fulfilled its divinely appointed mission.
The Scotch Plains Baptist Church was organized in August, 1747. This entire region at that time was known as the Province of East New Jersey, and was under the dominion of the King of Great Britain. All of its inhabitants were loyal English subjects. The country was sparsely settled. There were no railroads, nor post offices, nor telegraphs -in fact no public means of transportation, nor of conveying intelligence. The surroundings were so different from those with which we are familiar, that we can scarcely realize them.
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There were few Baptist Churches at that time in all that is now known, as the whole State of New Jersey, and these were widely separated. One was situated at Middletown, one at Piscataway, one at Cohansey, one at Cape May, one at Hope- well, one at Kingwood and one organized only two years before, at Hightstown.
There were a number of Baptist families living in this immediate vicinity, and identified with the Piscataway Baptist Church. The distance from and inconveniences in reaching their church home, induced them to ask for letters of dis- mission in order to organize a church at this place. Their application was answered by the following resolution adopted by the parent church at Piscata- way.
"Whereas, in the course of Divine Providence there is necessity of a church to be constituted at the Scotch Plains, in the County of Essex, in East New Jersey, and some of the members of the Baptist Church at Piscataway in the County of Middlesex and the Province aforesaid, having their dwellings at and near the said Scotch Plains, and they having made application to us, and ob- tained a grant for a dismission from us, in order to incorporate themselves into a church; this may certify that William Darby, Recompense Stan- bery, John Lambert John Dennis, John Stanbery, Henry Crosby, John Sutton Jr., Isaac Manning, Mary Brodwell, Mary Green, Mary Dennis, Tabitha Sutton, Catherine Manning, Sarah De Camp and Sarah Perce, when they are regularly constituted into a church according to gospel order and given themselves up, in a church fellowship are fully and freely dismissed from our church."
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THE ORGANIZATION.
Accordingly on the fifth day of August, 1747, these brethren and sisters met and resolved to be- come and be a Regular Baptist Church. They adopted and signed a solemn covenant. Some of the terms of which were, that they humbly accept- ed Jesus Christ as High Priest, Lawgiver and Savior. That they trusted implicitly and only in his atoning blood and sovereign grace for Salvation- that they would walk together in all holiness, godliness, humility and brotherly love-that they would watch over one another for good-that they would pray with and for one another and for the church-that they would bear one another's burdens, bear with one another's weaknesses as Christ had enjoined and set the example-that they would strive together for the truth of the gospel, and to observe and guard the ordinances in their purity, and would give according to their ability to maintain the Cause of the Master.
Thus the church was organized by these our honored forefathers upon the true foundation, Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone, and every distinguishing characteristic of our de- nomination separately referred to in the Covenant Compact. Surely if any people have reason to re- joice in the inheritance left by the forefathers, we may thank God, that the Constituent members of our Zion occupied no compromising ground, and blew no uncertain blast, concerning either the doctrines or practices of the christian church.
These constituent members have all long since passed away, but many of their descendants and the families they represent are still among us, honored and respected members of the community.
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The organization also included the election by the body of Samuel Drake as Church Clerk, and William Darby and Recompense Stanbery as Ruling Elders, and as the record declares were also to perform the duties of Deacons. Thus the church was duly constituted and publicly re- cognized and fellowshipped as a Regular Baptist Church.
REV. MR. MILLER'S PASTORATE.
Soon after the organization, the church extended a call to Benjamin Miller, a member of the Piscata- way Church to become their Pastor. This call Mr. Miller accepted and was ordained to the ministry, by request of this church, by Rev. Benjamin Stelle of Piscataway, Rev. James Car- man of Cranbery and Abel Morgan of Middletown.
The Church immediately united with the Phila- delphia Association.
Of the antecedents of Rev. Mr. Miller, little is positively known. It is probable that he was con- verted to God some ten years before by means of the ministry of Rev. Gilbert Tennant a celebrated Presbyterian minister of New Brunswick, N. J., and united with the Piscataway Baptist Church. Here his ability and zeal were noticed and com- mended, and he was readily granted a license to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
After becoming pastor of this church he evinced especial qualifications for the work. The infant organization was to be nursed, developed and strengthened. Baptists who were not already identified with it were to be visited and to be made interested in the new enterprise. Unconverted souls were to be instructed in the way of Salvation.
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All this work must have required an especial adaptation and a peculiar energy. His labors were not confined to this immediate vicinity, but he gave all the strength of his early manhood to the per- formance of his divinely appointed mission. He frequently travelled, of course only by the slow means of transportation of his time, to various sections of this and neighboring provinces, carrying the bread of life to the needy, and instructing and comforting the feeble churches. The result of such labor with the blessing of God was soon apparent. The congregations increased. The membership was enlarged, and growth and development was visible on every hand. This is apparent from the fact recorded in the minutes, that it became necessary to enlarge the house of worship in the year, 1758.
It is probable that a meeting house had been erected previous to the organization of the church. But this had become too small for their accom- modation during these first eleven years of active united labor. Hence on August 12th, 1758 it was voted "to enlarge the meeting house, to cover it with cedar shingles both roof and sides and to finish it well both outside and inside." A committee consist- ing of Recompense Stanbery, John Stites, Captain Drake and Captain McDonnel were appointed to complete this improvement. Thus with increased facilities and "an enlarged place of their tent" the church grew both in numbers and in influence.
Rev. Mr. Miller seems to have been indefatigable in preaching the word, enforcing the discipline, and watching over the interests of the now well established Zion. He appears to have had peculiar executive ability, and could readily discover what was best to do, and lead the people to do it. He
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had access to their ears, their affections and to their contributions; and he made use of all, not for his own aggrandizement, or to secure for him self a name, but for the glory of God and the pro- gress of the Cause of the Master.
There was at this time no Regular Baptist Church in New York City. There were a number of Baptists there who were members of the Fish- kill Baptist Church, and elsewhere. These being recommended to do so, united themselves in church relationship with this church and were frequently visited by Rev. James Carman pastor of the Cran- bery church (now Hightstown) and by Rev. Mr. Miller, who by authority of the Scotch Plains Church regularly administered the Communion once every quarter, and baptised when necessary. The congregations there increased so that no private dwelling house could accomodate them, and they found it necessary to hire a rigging loft in Cart and Horse Street, now William St. where they held their meetings for a number of years. They then erected their first church edifice on Gold Street. On the 19th of June 1762 twenty seven persons, namely, John Carman, Jeremiah Dodge, Andrew Thompson, Samuel Edmonds, John Degray, Elias Baylis, Jos. Meeks, Wm. Colegrove, Samuel Dodge, Catharine Degray, Mary Stillwell, Hannah Hayton, Hannah French, Mary Murphy, Margaret Dodge, Sarah Meeks, Sarah Thompson, Jane Calwell, Mary Edmonds, Susannah Mires, Ruth Perine, Mary Smith, Eliza VanDike, Mary Simmons, Rachel Williams and Catherine Leonard who had received letters of dismission for the pur- pose from this church organized the First Regular Baptist Church of New York City. On the same
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day Rev. John Gano, also of this church, became Pastor of the new organization, and held the position for twenty-six eventful years.
After the lapse of five more years of labor and success, it became advisable to organize a Baptist church at Mount Bethel, N. J. The members living in that vicinity were united witn this church, but in order to attend divine worship, it was necessary for them to ride from six to ten miles over rough hilly roads. As soon as they became strong enough they requested letters of dismission in order to con- stitute a new centre of religious influence more convenient to their own homes. This request was readily granted, and on the 2nd day of Sept. 1767 letters of dismission were given to eight males and ten females namely, Benjamin Sutton, Benj. Sutton Jr., Abram Sutton, David Jennings, William Worth, John Pound, John Worth, James Sutton, Elizabeth Tingley, Hannah Coon, Mary Sutton, Rosannah Cowart, Anna Worth, Lois Sutton, Dinah Worth, Etta Worth, Patience Bloom, and Elizabeth Hayden. The church was organized; and they have been a prosperous and sucessful agency for the advancement of the Re- deemer's Cause.
The Lyons Farms Baptist Church was organized from the Scotch Plains church in the year 1769. Eleven members namely, Ezekiel Crane, Ichabod Grummon, Loftus Grummon, Jos. Meeker, Jos. Gildersleeve, Samuel Smith, Jonathan Tompkins, Mary Meeker, Abegail Crane, Johannah Grummon and Jerusha Crane were dismissed for that purpose on the 29th day of March. This church has been united and successful and still maintain their visibility and usefulness. Thus in a period of
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only twenty two years, three churches were org- anized directly from this church, and yet the Scotch Plains Church numbered One hundred and five happy united efficient members, who probably presented an array of moral and pecuniary strength not excelled by any church at the time.
During Rev. Mr. Miller's pastorate several periods of special gathering were enjoyed, among which wasa revival in the year 1768 when the names of forty-eight persons are recorded as being baptis- ed into the church fellowship. This result seems to have been acomplished by the use of the ordin- ary means of grace, as the minutes make no men- tion of any foreign aid to the pastor, nor of any extra religious services.
Among those who were baptised by Rev. Benj- amin Miller were several who became prominent in the service of the Master, and eminently useful in the upbuilding of our denomination in this remote period of its history. One of these was James Manning, who was the son of Isaac Manning, one of the constituent members of this church. About the age of eighteen years he went to Hopewell, N. J. to prepare for college, under the instruction of Rev. Isaac Eaton. In 1758 he was baptised into the fellowship of this church, and in the same year entered the College of New Jersey now Princeton University, where he graduated with honors in 1762. Shortly after his graduation he was ordained to the ministry at Scotch Plains. Rev. John Gano of New York, preached the ordination sermon, Rev. Isaac Eaton of Hopewell gave the charge, and Rev. Isaac Stelle of Piscataway offered the ordaining prayer. He then spent a year in travelling exten- sively through the country having previously mar-
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ried a daughter of John Stites. In 1764 he removed to Warren, about ten miles from Providence, R. I. where he established a grammar school which soon became a flourishing institution. A church was organized in Warren the same year, and Mr. Manning was called to the pastorate. A charter was also obtained from the General Assembly, authorizing the establishment of the College of Rhode Island, and in 1765 Mr. Manning was formally appointed President of the College, and Professor of Languages "with full power to act in these capacities at Warren or elsewhere." In 1770 it was determined to remove the College from Warren to Providence, the town and county sub- scribing £4200 as an inducement thereto. Mr. Manning resigned the care of the church at Warren, but was almost immediately called to the pastorate of the First Baptist Church at Provi- dence. President Manning continued his mul- tifarious duties as President, Professor and Pastor until the breaking out of the war of the Revolu- tion. The College had been growing in reputation and usefulness, and was fast attaining the high position and influence it now occupies as Brown University. All through the revolutionary strug- gle Mr. Manning succeeded in keeping the institu- tion intact, though " University Hall " was occu- pied much of the time by the British Soldiers as Barracks, and it was not until 1782 that the course of instruction was permanently resumed. Indeed so identified with the life of James Manning was the history of Brown University, that the story of the earlier years of that Institution is also the story of his life. President Manning feeling that his collegiate duties were too great to allow him to give
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to the church the care it required, in 1791 request- ed the appointment of a successor; but before the request had been complied with, he was stricken with apoplexy and his useful life ended July 29, 1791, in the fifty-third year of his age.
Thus Rev. Mr. Miller's pastorate was blessed of God, not only in the building up of this church, and in the establishing of three other churches; but in the raising up of men who became lights in both the literary and religious world.
Mr. Miller served the church about thirty-four years, and died on the 14th day of November, 1781, and was buried by the loving hands of his people in the burying ground which surrounded the church edifice where he had so long and so earnestly preached the gospel. His sepulchre is with us to this day, and it is and ought to be held by the church as a sacred trust of all that is mortal of him who in the providence of God was the pioneer pastor of our beloved Zion. He left one son and four daughters who resided in the home- stead on the farm now owned by our honored townsman, A. D. Sheperd, Esq.
For more than four years after the death of Mr. Miller the church was without direct pastoral oversight. Mr. Runi Runyon supplied the pulpit half of the time for a few months and Mr. Benja- min Coles upon invitation of the church, became a stated supply. He served the church faithfully for about two years, but no marked display of the divine favor, seemed to attend his labors. The church were much discouraged, as is apparent from their letter to the Association at Philadelphia Oct. 5, 1784, in which they request "Counsel, As- sistance and Supplies as the Association in their
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wisdom shall think most proper" adding "we are at peace among ourselves, though much deadness still prevails; many minding their own things, and but few the things that are Jesus Christ's."
After this a George Guthrie, as his recommen- dation declares "a young brother not long since from Ireland" visited the church; but he only re- mained about five months and then removed to Morristown.
REV. MR. VAN HORN'S PASTORATE.
On the 15th of December, 1785, Rev. William Van Horn accepted a call to the pastorate. He was a young man thirty-eight years of age, of Buck's County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Academy of Dr. Samuel Jones, at Lower Dublin, Pa. During the revolutionary war he had been a chaplain in the army, enthusiastically encourag- ing the heroes who fought against tyranny, and cheering them on in their toilsome marches, while sharing with them their greatest dangers and most grievous hardships. He had also been a pastor at Southhampton some thirteen years. His preach- ing is said to have been "of the most solid and instructive character, never descending into care- less frivolity, but always with becoming gravity as a messenger from the throne of God, declaring the will of the Most High to men."
His ministry here like that of his predecessor proved eminently sucessful. The first year he bap- tised forty-seven persons; and these as the minutes reveal after the closest examination and scrutiny. The whole number baptised during his pastorate was one hundred and sixty. While he evinced great pulpit power, he also had an ex-
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ecutive ability, which made his pastoral work a success.
Previous to the coming of Mr. Van Horn, in- deed, as early as 1761, what was called a cestry was organized, consisting of seven men, who seem to have had especial control of the temporal affairs of the church. Mr. Van Horn formulated a plan for connecting the church and congregation, for the support of the Gospel and the care of the tem- poral interests of the Society. Whatever the plan was (for the minutes do not record it) it was adopted and continued in operation until Feb- ruary, 1788, when, in accordance with a law passed by the Legislature in 1786, for incor- porating religious societies, seven Trustees were chosen and a certificate of incorporation was filed
in the Clerk's office in Newark. In 1869, this in- corporation was confirmed as an especial charter by Act of the Legislature; the trustees being clothed with power to sell lands.
During Mr. Van Horn's administration two churches were constituted directly from the mem- bership of this.
In the spring of 1788, three brothers, Abraham Drake, Cornelius Drake and Isaac Drake, and two brothers-in-law John Shotwell and David Morris, were induced by the glowing descriptions of Rev. William Wood, pastor of the Baptist church at Washington, Kentucky, to leave their homes here and seek their fortunes in the wilds of the West. These brethren with their wives, children and ef- fects were accompanied by Rev. John Gano, who was then moving his all from the City of New York. They sailed down the Ohio River to Lime- stone, where they landed and proceeded at once to
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Washington, four miles distant. Here they made a temporary stay until they could select a site upon which to settle. In the early fall, they bought from a Mr. May a tract of land containing fourteen hundred acres, eight miles west of Wash- ington. They made an equitable division of their land according to the amount of money each had put into the common stock, and in such a manner, that the lot of each had a corner in a Salt spring. Around this spring they built their log houses, and established their colony, calling the incip- ient village May's Lick.
Before leaving their home the aforesaid brethren with their wives had been granted letters of dis- mission from this church, on the 12th of April, 1788. Hence, as soon as convenient they organ- ized themselves into a Particular Baptist Church at May's Lick, Ky., on November 28, 1789. Rev. William Wood of Washington, Ky., and James Garrard, who afterward for two terms was Gov- ernor of the State, were the officiating ministers on the occasion. Thus the Scotch Plains church be- came the mother of a child in what was then re- garded as the far west.
The May's Lick church grew in numbers, and religious power and influence, until in 1889 at their centennial anniversary, they are reported as one of the strongest churches, and centers of evangelizing progress in that part of the west.
The other church organized during the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Van Horn, was the one at Samptown in our immediate vicinity.
On the 21st of August, 1792, letters of dismis- sion were given to Christianns Lupordus, Samuel Drake and wife, Peter Till, Joseph Randolph,
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Benjamin Blackford, Dugal Ayers, Ephraim F. Randolph and wife, Joseph Manning, Robert Randolph, Mary Blackford, Joseph Drake, John Luke, Margaret Luke, George Laying, Zervia Manning, Unis Cole and Morris Frazee. Accord- ingly on the 1st of December, 1792, the Samptown Baptist Church was constituted-being about midway between this place and Piscataway, the pastors of both churches had preached there with some regularity. But as it was manifestly better that they should have an organization of their own, they were set apart as a gospel church- David Jones of Southampton, Pa., and Jacob F. Randolph taking part in the Services. This church, too, recently held their centennial exercises show- ing commendable progress and efficiency.
After Mr. Van Horn had accepted the pastor- ate, but probably before he had removed his family to this place, the Parsonage, a frame build- ing which stood nearer the street than the present one, was consumed by fire early in 1786. It was immediately determined to rebuild; and as there was some difference of opinion about where the new building should stand, after determining that it should be constructed of stone, it was voted "to indulge Mr. Van Horn with his choice." He wisely chose the present location, and during that year all the stone part of the present building was erected under the pastor's immediate supervision : and every pastor who has occupied it since has had occasion to commend the wisdom and foresight of his plans.
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