USA > New Jersey > A history of Baptists in New Jersey > Part 18
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CHAPTER XVI.
PEMBERTON, BURLINGTON, BEVERLY AND FLORENCE.
The original name of Pemberton from 1690 to 1752 was "Hampton Hanover." The second name was "New Mills." The change to the second name was due to the building of new mills at the place in dis- tinction from older mills on "Budd's Run." opposite to the site of Pemberton. At the incorporation of the town in 1826 it was named Pemberton, in memory of a citizen, Mr. James Pemberton. In 1837, the old records of the church were destroyed by the burning of a building in which they were.
Morgan Edwards wrote an account of the first things and says: "The house measures 30x30, built in 1752 on a lot of about two acres, the gift of Richard Woolston. His deed bears date of April 6th, 1752. In one corner of the house is the pulpit, in the opposite angles are the galleries, which relieves the conveniences of galleries in small places of worship; it is finished as usual in this country and accommodated with a stove. No temporality; nor many rich, for which reason the salary cannot be above twenty pounds a year. * * The church is in a widowed state, but has been pretty well supplied from Hights- town, Upper Freehold etc. The families to which this meeting house is central are about eighty, whereof one hundred persons are baptized and in the communion, here administered once a quarter, the above is the present state of New Mills, October 24th, 1789. History."
This church originated about the year 1750. One Francis Briggs of Salem (Mr. Briggs was a member of Cohansie) settled at New Mills and invited Baptist ministers to preach at his house. The consequence was, that some were converted and baptized; namely, John and Elizabeth, Estelle and Rachel Briggs. This raised the expectations that there might be a church at New Mills, in hope of which they built a meeting house and applied to the Association (Philadelphia) for ministerial helps. During these visits others were baptized.
In the year 1763, Rev. P. P. Van Horn arrived from Pennepek with his wife and family, which increased the number of Baptists to ten and made them wish to have communion of saints among them. Accordingly, they were formed into a church, June 23rd, 1764. Mr. Briggs was the kind of Baptist, those Baptists were, who made us what we are as a denomination. They believed in Gospel order and wanted
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that and only that, nor did they hide their convictions of truth and duty. Baptists are what they are numerically and in influence, be- cause knowing their mission they had the grace and courage to main- tain it. Stalwart pastors and stalwart preaching made stalwart Baptists whether men or women, Baptists as much alone as if they had compan- ionship of their faith, answering to Paul's description, "living Epistles," walking Bibles that "whose light cannot be hid." There is no estimate of what one person can accomplish, having a purpose to be only and always on the side of God and His will. Even though they numbered only ten disciples, they constituted a Baptist church having all the distinctiveness which a Baptist church means in the midst of the vagaries of error. Ten of such would have saved Sodom. Mr. Briggs did not live to see a church organized. He died in 1763.
Rev. P. P. Van Horn was a constituent of the church and its first pastor, retaining his charge for five years, and then returned to Penn- sylvania. He had a useful pastorate, the church increasing from ten to forty-two members. When it is recalled how sparse the population was, the increase is significant of an efficient pastoral oversight. Three years went by ere Rev. D. Brandon settled as pastor. He was or- dained in December 1770. Morgan Edwards states that, "In 1772, a grevious disturbance took place which caused one party to exclude the other and they continued in this situation till September 22nd, 1778." Mr. Branson was excluded in June 1772. As Mr. Branson claimed to be a Baptist minister in good standing, the Association in 1781, warned the public against him. When this trouble was settled, prosperity returned and the church increased in twenty-five years to one hundred members.
In March, 1781, David Loughborough was ordained for the pastorate. He continued till April 1782. People are much the same in various periods. Mr. Loughbridge had married a lady of the con- gregation and some dissented to his choice. For sixteen years there was a vacant pulpit. That memorable man, Peter Wilson, pastor at Hightstown. supplied the pulpit for six or eight years of this time, as often as so busy a man and one in great demand could. As ever and everywhere in his ministry Mr. Wilson gathered many converts into the church. From 1789 to 1793, Rev. Joseph Stevens supplied both Pemberton and Upper Freehold churches and from 1793 -1798 two licentiates of Pemberton, Benjamin Hedger and Isaac Carlisle were ordained at New Mills and ministered till the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Magowan. This was not a period of destitution nor of barrenness. In each year with only one exception there were additions by baptism, in all one hundred and ten. Of these, Mr. Wilson baptized fifty-five,
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while supplying Pemberton. Alexander Magowan was much the same stamp of man as Mr. Wilson, who had baptized him into the Hightstown church, Mr. Magowan being a Presbyterian minister. (See Hightstown history for account of Mr. Magowan's becoming a Baptist.) Hightstown church licensed Mr. Magowan and he became a Baptist minister. Mr. Magowan was pastor at Pemberton from 1798 to 1806. In that time he baptized one hundred and sixteen. Part of this time he alternated between Pemberton and Mount Holly.
In 1794, the trustees of Pemberton held for Burlington Baptists the old "Friends" meeting house in Burlington. Mr. Magowan preach- ed at Burlington and at Mount Holly. Pemberton church must have had men of substance, who cared for neighboring localities. A house of worship was built at Mount Holly in 1800. Mr. Magowan was a man of superior ability and of great activity in mission work. It has been said of him: "that he was devoted and earnest and stood staunch- ly for the faith once delivered to the Saints," In the minutes of the New Jersey Association of 1815, page 7, in a prefix written by the clerk for the corresponding letter of the Association, it is said; that in 1814, Mr. Magowan was appointed to write the corresponding letter. Unwilling to leave the duty unaccomplished, he wrote the letter and left it with a brother to be presented for him, having decided to go to Ohio before the next session of the Association. "About one hundred miles from his destination, the wagon was overturned and Mr. Magowan . fatally injured and died a few hours after, leaving his widow and four children in the wilderness." Though dead, his appointment was kept. While pastor at Pemberton in 1801, a colony was dismissed to constitute a Baptist church in Mount Holly, where from 1795, three years before becoming pastor at Pemberton, he sustained the mission at Mount Holly, which Peter Wilson of Hightstown had begun there.
In 1794, Mr. Carlisle is named in the minutes of the Philadelphia Association as a licentiate of Pemberton church. He is published as ordained in 1805. For five years, from 1796, he was a delegate to that Association from the first Baptist church of Philadelphia. But, according to the minutes of the New Jersey Association, Mr. Carlisle was at Pemberton from 1811 to 1814. A statement in some records that Mr. Carlisle died in February, 1815 is a mistake. He was a delegate to New Jersey Association in September 1815. Rev. I. Stratton followed at Pemberton and was ordained in February 1814. But death cut short his ministry on June 7th, 1816. Mr. Stratton was highly esteemed and bright hopes were blighted by his death.
In 1816, Rev. John Rogers settled as pastor. He was the son of John Rogers and was a native of North Ireland. A descendant of
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PEMBERTON AND SCOTCH PLAINS
the martyr John Rogers, and inherited the stamina of character and conscientious conviction of his great ancestor. Allied in family and in training with the Presbyterian church, he was pastor of a staunch Presbyterian church in his native town, amid kindred and loved ones and there in the midst of these tremendous influences, the martyr, John Rogers, lived anew; the stake of contempt and the cross of sac- rifice in the surrender of his old convictions and of his family and dearest friends was the cost of becoming a Baptist. He told his church of his change of views and they trusted him and provided exchanges for him on ordinance days. Some members of his church became Baptists. Others accused him of sowing discord. Then he resigned and came to America.
At a meeting of a Baptist Association, he met a delegation of the Pemberton church looking for a pastor. He was invited to visit Pem- berton and began his ministry in America there. When twelve years had passed, Scotch Plains church coveted his labors as pastor. In the record of that body, an account of his usefulness appears. Com- paratively few have been more beloved than John Rogers. Every good cause had a place in his heart. The antinomian element, when he met it was remoulded into earnest, active Christian life. State Missions, Home Missions, Foreign Missions and any instrumentality to save the lost and build up the Kingdom of God, had in him a helper. At the close of his ministry in Pemberton, for about two years a licen- tiate of the church, Mr. Samuel Harvey "supplied" the church till Mr. C. W. Mulford accepted its call and Mr. Mulford was ordained to be its pastor in November 27th, 1830 to 1835.
The church seems to have had a choice of pastors of the first Baptist church in Philadelphla. Rev. Henry Holcombe, the foremost man of his day preached at the ordination of Mr. Stratton and Rev. W. T. Brantly, Sr., preached at that of Mr. Mulford. Mr. Mulford was unlike Mr. Rogers, both as a preacher and in social life. Mr. Rogers was an undemonstrative, educated and of high toned Cal- vinistic views, and in social life, unassuming and retiring. One was sure of being on the right side if agreeing with him. Mr. Mulford was young, had the wisdom of youth; if in riding he did not "hold the lines," he was beside the driver and advised as to the best road. His preaching was Calvinistic and earnest, impressing his hearers that he believed what he said and that they must believe it and now. Mr. Mulford closed his pastorate at Pemberton after five years, having had a happy and useful service. Under his ministry, one hundred and seventy three were added to the church by baptism.
Mr. Mulford was always and everywhere, "at the front" on the
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temperance question. Whatever their social, political or religious relations and alliances of opponents, made to him any difference. Mr. Mulford was the compeer of Samuel Aaron in the intensity of his zeal for total abstinence from intoxicants. Good people of all denominations were agreed in the advocacy of temperance, as they have not been since. Political parties had great respect to the temperance element in their nominations for office in New Jersey. Mr. Mulford was laid aside in the vigor of his years by a bronchial affection, with which he died, only fifty-nine years old. While pastor at Pemberton, Vincent- town church was constituted in 1834.
Rev. Timothy Jackson was pastor for two years, from 1836 and had a harvest of converts in his charge. Rev. J. G. Collom settled as pastor in July 1839, remaining till March 1846. While pastor, the house of worship "on the hill" was an inconvenience on account of its distance from the village, but Deacon Swain giving a lot in town, a chapel was built on it for social meetings and other uses. Three members were licensed to preach in Mr. Collom's charge. Mr. Collom having removed, Rev. D. S. Parmelle entered the pastorate in July, 1846, continuing till June 1851, and was imbedded in the affections of his people.
After Mr. Parmelee, Rev. L. C. Stevens settled for a few months, removing on account of the health of Mrs. Stevens, who died within a short time. On February 17th, 1853, Mr. S. M. Shute was ordained but in 1856, accepted a call to Alexandria, Va. A parsonage was bought in the first year of his coming. The same year in which Mr. Shute removed, Rev. Thomas Goodwin became pastor, holding the office till June 1859. The pastoral office was occupied by Rev. L. G. Beck on September 1st, 1859, was held by him until July 1864. Meas- ures had been taken in 1860, to build a church edifice in a more central place which being completed, was dedicated in September 1861. The entire outlay for grounds, sheds and house of worship was paid on the completion of the meeting house. Mr. Beck's settlement at Pem- berton proved wise. The centennial year 1864, occurred while he was pastor.
Comparatively few men have the gift and the patience to gather the facts of an hundred years, sifting tradition from fact, discriminate and adjust the real from the unreal, in the memories of the aged and so compile historical details, that they commend themselves to us, as substantially true. Since the early statements of Morgan Edwards, fire having destroyed the church records, we owe to the research, intelligence and patience of Pastor Beck, another token of the Provi- dence of his pastorate. The meeting house had been built on a lot
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MOUNT HOLLY, VINCENTOWN AND COLUMBUS
distant from the central part of the town. The Pemberton church had lived and suffered this disadvantage for an hundred years, till now, when through Mr. Beck, a spacious house of worship was located in the centre of the town.
A pastor ought not to be judged by the numbers added to the church or by the large congregations waiting on his ministry. The better evidence of his usefullness is putting the church into a position of influence and equipping it with power to wield for God and humanity, making it a channel of blessing and salvation for all time. Mr. Beck was followed by Rev. J. H. Parks for about four years and Mr. Parks by Rev. J. W. Wilmarth who was pastor eight years.
In September 1878, Rev. J. C. Buchanan entered the pastorate and is now (1900) pastor, already more than twenty-two years. Mr. Buchanan's pastorate in duration at Pemberton is exceptional. Pastor Rogers alone approaches it. The church has had twenty-two pastors, including Mr. Wilson's ministry of six or eight years and the two years in which one of its licentiates preached. Several houses of worship have been built or provided. One, the old "Friends" meeting house at Burlington, which may have been bought by the generous aid of Pemberton church in 1794, the property being held by the trustees of Pemberton church for the uses of Burlington Baptists. In about 1800, a house was built for the mission at Mount Holly.
A meeting house was built at Vincentown and another at Columbus under the pastorate of Mr. C. W. Mulford. These were four church edifices. For itself, a meeting house was built in 1752 and afterwards moved and remodelled into a parsonage, which was burned in 1837. In 1823, a house of worship was built to take the place of that erected in 1752. For the convenience of the village, a chapel was put up in town for Sunday school and social meeting uses. A house of worship was built in Pemberton in 1860-1. Thus, besides four outside missions, four other places of worship were built for itself at home. In all, eight sanctuaries; additional to these, two parsonages were erected. At least nine members have been licensed to preach, one of whom, has been pastor of the church and others "supplies" when Pemberton has been destitute of a pastor and efficient in sustaining mission stations.
Two sons of Deacon Swain, Samuel and Thomas, have filled high positions in New Jersey and abroad. Job Gaskill also, was an eminent- ly useful man. His private means enabled him to serve young and feeble churches, unable to sustain a pastor. These and others unnamed, reflected credit on the pastors who had developed their gifts and upon the church that had sent them out. Pemberton has been
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a fruitful church. Its pastors preached in Burlington. Mount Holly was its mission. So too, Vincentown and Columbus. From twenty to forty churches may claim its ancestry. Fifty-two members were dismissed to form Mount Holly church in 1801, twenty-nine to constitute Vincentown church and nineteen to establish Columbus church.
The antecedent record of the pastors of Pemberton is of intense interest. Mr. Van Horn was a Lutheran, but the New Testament set him free and made him a Baptist. Mr. Stephens was an Episco- palian, but the Scriptures made him a Baptist. Benjamin Hedger, a licentiate, was a Presbyterian; the Gospel turned his feet into a Baptist church. Mr. Magowan was pastor of a Presbyterian church and by Bible study was led into truth and into a Baptist church. John Rogers, like to Mr. Magowan, was a native of Ireland, was trained in their schools for the ministry and pastor of a Presbyterian church, of which his father had been pastor and living in his native place, amid his kindred, his ideas of the church and of the ordinances were changed, by the "Baptist chapters," as the Methodist minister said, and he united with a Baptist church. D. S. Parmelee was a Congregationalist. The Bible led him to ask his pastor to "bury him in baptism." His prejudice against "close communion" led him to join a congregational church. Further study of the Divine Word convinced him that the Baptists were as scripturally right on the communion question as on baptism and he joined a Baptist church. While at Pemberton he published a small volume on "Positive Law; its Distinction From Moral Law." Mr. Goodwin had been an Episcopalean, but the Scriptures made him a Baptist.
The pastors were about equally useful in winning converts and in promoting the general welfare of the church. Its membership had spiritual vitality. Life was not derived from the pastors or from his methods. Thus when he removed he did not take with him, that which had made his ministry a blessing, nor when a new pastor came, the same source of blessing was in the church to make his oversight successful. With the single exception of a bad man, who imposed himself on the church, the pastors have been men of peace. Nine hundred and fifty-eight have been baptized into the church up to 1900.
Few changes in the economy of our churches have been so marked as that concerning women. At the session of the West New Jersey Association, a report on the woman question in reply to the query: "Ought women delegates be admitted to be members of the Asso- ciation?" (Minutes of 1877, page 23, item 55.) Why this matter
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PEMBERTON
is alluded to, in connection with Pemberton is: that Rev. J. W. Wilmarth was chairman of the committee to which the matter was referred and also was pastor of the Pemberton church at that time. In 1878, page 20, is the report of the committee and action on it, was deferred to the next year. Report: "We answer in the negative for the following reasons:" I. Such a practice is inconsistent with the plain teachings of the New Testament. II. Such a practice is contrary to the universal belief and practice of the church. III. Such a custom is contrary to Baptist usage. IV. Such a practice would have a dan- gerous tendency. V. Such an innovation would be an act of injustice to our female members. VI. Such a change would entail serious practical inconveniences. VII. Finally, we can discover no good to be accomplished by the proposed change." All of which was main- tained in six closely printed pages. It is due to the Association that the resolutions of the committee, in perfect accord with the seven above mentioned points, were never after heard of and next year, 1879, women delegates were enrolled. In 1900, of one hundred and fifteen delegates, fifty-five were women. It is also due to the women to say that no such trouble has ever appeared as the committee conjured up and warned us of.
Contrasted with this report, was the action of the Philadelphia Association in 1746, page 53. (A. B. Publishing Society, Edition 1746, page 53.) The question then was: whether women may or ought to have their votes in the church, in such matters as the church shall agree to be decided by votes? They answer: "Alluding to I Cor. 14:34, 35 vs. and other parallel texts, they add: "If then the silence enjoined on women be taken so absolute as they must keep entire silence in all respects, whatever; yet notwithstanding, it is to be hoped, they may have as members of the body of the church liberty to give a mute voice by standing or lifting up of the hands-(vote) * * But,
* such absolute silence in all
with the consent of authors * respects cannot be intended, for, if so, how shall a woman make con- fession of her faith, to the satisfaction of the whole church as she is bound to do? How shall a woman do, if she be an evidence to a matter of fact? Again, how shall a woman defend herself if wrong- fully accused, if she may not speak? How shall a woman offended * tell the church as she is bound to do (Matt. 18:17)? There- fore, there must be times and ways in and by which women may dis- charge their conscience and duty toward God and men." Evidently, the men of one hundred and fifty years ago, had good common sense from whom the twentieth century men might learn something. These 12
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old time men believed in a woman having a word to say in things of public interest.
Pemberton has its share of rural experiences, nevertheless, being a railroad town, and the vicinities of the two great cities of the nation, make it a center of value and the lands about it attractive to a home population.
Authorities insist that a Baptist church was planted in Burlington at an early date. The minutes of the Pennepek church, Pa., indicate that a Baptist church was founded there in 1689. Morgan Edwards states: that Elias Keach, pastor of Penepak church, established a Baptist church there in 1690. That year Mr. Keach was invited by Obadiah Holmes, Jr .- a licentiate-to visit Cohansie and Baptist con- verts gathered there by Mr. Holmes, Jr. Mr. Keach baptised those converts. If he returned home via Burlington, N. J. as the year inti- mates, he effected two important matters, establishing churches in Cohansie and in Burlington. It is agreed that the church in Burling- ton disbanded in 1699 and the members joined Penepak church.
Burlington was settled early by the "Friends" (Quakers) in 1667. and in 1690, was a populous town. These doings of more than two hundred years since, show that Baptists then as now, had faith in God and were aggressive to make known their convictions of Bible teaching. All in America endorse "civil and religious liberty," but all do not know that it cost Baptists persecution and their lives to win it for mankind.
Tradition has it, that indomitable and ever memorable Peter Wilson, pastor at Hightstown, visited Burlington in 1790, holding meetings there. He was accompanied by two licentiates of Pemberton, Benjamin Hedger and I C. Carlisle. These preached until 1798. Alexander Magowan became pastor at Pemberton in 1798 and he with Messrs. Hedger and Carlisle preached till the constitution of the church in 1801. When six members of Pemberton, six of Jacobstown, and two from Philadelphia, in all, fourteen constituted the first Baptist church of Burlington. Among the six from Jacobstown were W. H. Staughton and wife. Mr. Staughton had been a member of the Bir- mingham Baptist church, England, and had been excluded for adultery, in marrying the divorced wife of a man still living, the divorce being for other than scriptural cause. (Matt. 19:9; 5:32 and Luke 16:18). When excluded, Mr. Staughton fled to America. (See "Whole Truth," pages 19-20. Letters of Dr. Furman and of Andrew Fuller of Kettering) Staughton later became pastor, the first pastor at Burlington. Mr. Staughton in coming North, finally located at Bordentown, then a small village where Mr. Allison, pastor at Jacobstown Baptist church,
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lived and had a prosperous school of students from every colony in the United States and from Spain, France, West Indies and South America. This school, he committed to Mr. Staughton, which proved unwise, since it declined under the new management.
In 1801, the Burlington church called Mr. Staughton to be pastor. A call in 1805, to be pastor of the first church, Philadelphia was accepted and Mr. Staughton removed to Philadelphia. He resigned his charge in five or six years.
The Burlington church adopted a habit of their times and looked for a pastor among their members and licensed Mr. William Boswell and called him to be a "permanent supply." His labors continued till 1809, when their limited financial resources necessitated a union with Mount Holly. Under the arrangement, Rev. J. Mclaughlin moved to Burlington, preaching in the morning at Mount Holly and in the after- noon and evening at Burlington. At the end of the year, Pastor McLaughlin decided that the field was too large and limited himself to Burlington until 1811, when he removed. Rev. Burgess Allison followed Mr. Mclaughlin. A man so learned, intelligent and good had an almost unbounded influence in the town. The church was renewed and in the four years of his stay was very efficient. His resignation was reluctantly accepted. Several months passed and the Rev. J. E. Welsh was engaged to supply the church whenever convenient. This was in 1816. New life appeared at once. The church edifice was repaired and made attractive. Crowds met, a revival broke out and numbers were baptized. Every effort was made to retain Mr. Welsh, but his face was set westward; associated with Rev. J. M. Peck, the Tri-ennial convention sent them to the Indians in Missouri near to St. Louis.
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