USA > New Jersey > A history of Baptists in New Jersey > Part 35
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Next year, were baptized by Mr. Marsh, Joshua Cole, Capt. Roe, Daniel Roberts, Hezekiah Smith and wife, and Rudolphus Fuller. These eight persons were, November 14, 1756, formed into a Baptist church by a new covenant which is still extant, though the records of prior transactions have perished. Two years, after, they joined the association.
We have mentioned some remarkable things already; to which may be added (1) That Newtown may be considered as an original church, having sprung from no other Baptist church. (2) It has in- creased in 34 years from eight to seventy-four. (3) Mixed communion continued in this church after it became Baptist, which the Baptists excused from the consideration of necessity. (4) In 1761, Mr. Marsh took it into his head to introduce the economy of the Moravians, viz: to have all things in common. About thirty-six persons came into his measure, but being chiefly poor people, the project failed in less than two years. What, with this project, and Mr. Marsh's altering his preaching to the manner of the Separatists and his turning speculator in traffic and quitting them in 1763, the church had well nigh come to nothing, for when Mr. Cox came among them in 1771, there were but seven members remaining.
Some of the lay brethren used frequently to stand up for prophe- sying or exhortation, while the spirit of the New England separaters was warm at Newtown. But the first minister of the church was Rev. William Marsh.
We have said much of him already, to which may be added, that he was born at Wrentham in Connecticut; ordained at Mansfield in the same state, by ministers of the separate order, which ordination served him when he became a Baptist; that he left the church in 1763, and went to Wyoming, where he was murdered by Indians. He (as before observed) turned his attention to traffic, buying horses, cattle etc.,
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and selling them for gain. The last drove ruined him and hurt his neighbors. When he had turned his drove into money, he was re- turning home, but had occasion to stop on Society Hill in Philadelphia. When he came out of his friend's house, his saddle-bags and money were gone.
The idiosyncrasies of Mr. Marsh reduced the membership to seven and the church was nearly extinct. But Mr. Constant Hart, one of those from Connecticut and a constituent of the church, became an exhorter and leader. Under his labors, there was a recovery from its low condition. After a little while, Mr Hart went to New England and was ordained. The nearest Baptist church was Scotch Plains, a vast distance in these early days. On the return of Mr. Hart to New- town, about 1769, a reorganization of the church was made and its name was changed to Baptist church of Hardiston, Wantage and Newtown. Its members living in each of these localities.
Mr. Hart was pastor, the last time, from 1770 to 1777 and the church grew in number and compactness and became a thorough Baptist church. A house of worship was partially built near the site of Hamburg. Rev. N. Cox settled as pastor in 1777. Already many members had removed to Wantage and the unfinished building near to where Hamburg is, was taken down and rebuilt in Wantage which name the church eventually adopted. The meeting house near Augusta accommodated that part of the church and congregation resident nearer there. The pastor preaching alternately in these houses. Mr. Cox resigned in 1783. In his pastorate the membership increased to one hundred. Mr. James Finn followed and was ordained in 1783. He resigned in two years. Mr. Silas Southworth succeeded and was ordained in 1786. He was pastor till he died on February 20th, 1814, more than twenty-seven years. He was brought an infant of months to Sussex County, by his parents, who were constituents of the church. Mr. Southworth was licensed, ordained and pastor of the only church of which he had been a member. His charge was one of eminent use- fulness and the church grew rapidly and enjoyed great prosperity. In 1809, Mr. Southworth resigned, but next year was recalled. In 1804, the church voted to raise one hundred dollars for the pastor and that "the money be levied on the male members, according to their abil- ity."
When recalled in 1810, the salary was increased to one hundred and twenty-five dollars annually. Twenty-three members were dis- missed in 1797 to form the church in Westtown, afterwards second Wantage. In 1800, Baptists living in Newfoundland, asked that the Lord's Supper be observed there twice a year. The request was granted
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and thereafter Mr. Southworth preached in Newfoundland, each month. Four years after, Baptists in Newfoundland received letters of dis- mission and the Newfoundland church was constituted in 1804. Pas- tor Southworth has come down to us, and is known by the fruits of his ministry and is deservedly esteemed as one of those worthies entitled to a foremost place in our memories as one of the men who laid the foundations of our denomination on the basis of the New Testament.
Rev. L. Hall became pastor in November 1815 and had a successful service for six years, when in August 1821, he entered on the reward of the righteous on high. (Warwick Association, 1822, Page 7, item 17).
From March 1822 till in 1824, Rev. John Hagan was pastor. Under his labors the membership of the church was largely increased. Data written by Deacon S. McCoy in 1841-54 gives us an insight of the move- ments of years previous. Rev. L. Fletcher in 1825 was laid aside by illness in Sussex and preached in March, 1825. Later, he was called to be pastor that year. The deacon writes: "A thorough reformation took place and Antinomianism was voted out. First it was moved to withdraw from the Warwick Association." In the winter 1829-30, a revival crowned the labors of pastor and people. One hundred were baptized into the fellowship of the church. A new house of worship was built in 1830 on the old site. Three members were licensed to preach.
Two of them, John and Thomas C. Teasdale in 1828 and 1829. These brothers were associated with Zelotes Grenelle, and were an irresistable force for truth and righteousness against the miasm of antinomianism. In the great revival in the winter of 1829-30, Deacon McCoy says: "It was common at the prayer meetings to see and hear the venerable father, Deacon H. Martin, his son, his grand son, and his great grand sons, all engage in prayer. Four generations." Deacon Martin filled his place at all meetings of the church till the end of the summer of 1853, when his great age and infirmities prevented him from going to the sanctuary. Nearly an hundred years old, his name is in the minutes of the Association in 1858.
Mr. Fletcher closed his pastoral charge at Wantage in December 1831. Rev. T. Jackson followed for three years resigning in 1835. Pastor I. Moore was in charge, 1836-40. One hundred nearly were baptized in his ministry at Wantage. William Fay was pastor, 1841-42. Rev. Sandford Leach was pastor about this time. Mr. D. F. Twiss settled in 1845 and was ordained, resigning in 1849. Rev. Thomas Davis entered the pastoral office in 1850, resigning in 1854. He was recalled in 1855, serving the church nearly ten years. The succession of pastors was: J. Beldon, eighteen months; J. F. Love,
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1861-65; D. T. Hill, 1865-69; J. F. Love, second charge, 1870-73; E. Jewett, 1874-77; I. G. Dyer, 1878-82; L. O. Grenelle, 1882-1885. This period was a crisis period. Movements had been made to build a new house of worship and a parsonage. A strong and active element wanted to build in Deckertown, but failed in their object. The meeting house built in 1830 was a mile or more from the village, uninviting, out of repair and discreditable within and without.
Other denominations honored God in the use of modern places of worship where the people were and were growing, while Baptists were losing place in the sympathies of the people and hold, on their convictions of truth and duty. Pastor L. O. Grenelle, like to his father, Zelotes Grenelle, was endowed with the gift of "bringing things to pass." To the surprise of onlookers and to the chagrin of opposers who had previously blocked all former attempts to reach an end essential to the existence and prosperity of the church; ground was bought and a house of worship, built in Deckertown, with his usual tact and management. The success of this measure aroused bitter hostility to the pastor and having accomplished his object in going to Wantage, wisely resigned, showing thus, both his intelligence and his love for the cause of Christ; leaving the church a unit and by going away, removed the only cause of dissent.
Mr. A. B. Wilson settled in 1885 and resigned in 1887. His erratic course excited comparison to the wisdom of his predecessor to the harm of Mr. Wilson. Rev. C. C. Lathrop followed in 1887. Mr. Lathrop was a remarkable man. Few stood higher in the opinion of the U. S. government and of President. Lincoln for his political and religious integrity. President Lincoln gave to him, very important interests in the South, during the Civil War. While a member of the New Jersey legislature, he secured the most important temperance legislation ever enacted into law. which has the endorsement of all political parties. Mr. Lathrop was ordained when sixty-seven years old and became pastor of Wantage church when sixty-nine years of age. A Presby- terian from his youth, he obeyed the convictions of truth and duty and joined a Baptist church, when fifty-five years old. Pastor of Wantage church for eleven years, he died December 23, 1897, within two months of being eighty years old. His pastorate at Wantage was a continuous blessing. Physically and intellectually, it could be said of him, as of Moses: "His eye was not dim, nor his natural force a- bated."
Rev. J. Bristow entered the pastorate in March 1898 and is now in 1900, holding the trust. The church has had four names. Newtown, 1756, Hardiston of Newtown and Wantage about 1770; Wantage, 1790;
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Deckertown, 1883. Twenty-three pastors have ministered to the church. Two of them have been pastors twice and two of them have closed their work in death. One pastor, Mr. Southworth, served twenty-seven years. He was the son of a constituent; was baptized, licensed and ordained by the church in which he was brought up.
Morgan Edwards had quite an indifferent opinion of Mr. South- worth, saying of him: "He is one of those lay ministers, whothink they may be wiser than they already (studious) or that ordination and Reverend Sir, have made them." (Mr. Edwards is mixed in this ex- pression). How mistaken human judgements are! How educated men stumble in their conceits! It is wise to suspend judgement of men whom God calls into the ministry; till we have seen the use he has for them and the use he makes of them.
As many as eight members were licensed to preach. Among them not only Silas Southworth, but John and Thomas Teasdale, both of whom accomplished vast good for Christ and truth in a day when coveteousness and antinomianism were allied to war on the Kingdom of God. The Newtown church, under its several names has built for itself, five meeting houses. Two, one near Hamburg and at Augusta; two in Wantage and one at Deckertown. Two colonies have gone out and constituted churches. In 1797, a colony of twenty-three members organized Westtown church. Baptists in Newfoundland were united with Wantage in New Jersey and with Warwick church in New York State. Those connected with Wantage received letters of dismission and united with those of Warwick and constituted in 1804 the New- foundland church. The Wantage church through Pastor Fletcher and the brothers, John and Thomas Teasdale, brought to naught, the antinomian efforts to sweep the Baptist churches in Sussex County into antinomianism. The Warwick Association accepted antinomian- ism in 1833. Wantage was one of the three churches that withdrew and formed the Second Sussex Association. Lafayette and Newton churches derived their elementary strength from the original Newtown church. Nor only these, but Vernon that was absorbed in Hamburg. Hamburg also, Delaware and Mansfield. Were the facts attainable, Baptist interests in Warren County would also be identified with the original Newtown church.
The church originally known as Westtown, afterwards changed its name in 1804, to second Wantage; was constituted with twenty-three members dismissed from first Wantage. Among them was Thomas Casad. He was licensed by first Wantage to preach. When Westtown was organized, Mr. Casad was ordained for its first pastor. At the
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end of ten years, he ended his labors in death, in 1808. There was a vacancy in the pastoral office until 1811 when a member of the church was called to be pastor, Mr. Winter Mote, who was ordained. He was pastor six years and baptized one hundred and forty-seven. In 1818, Zelotes Grenelle was called and ordained in August 1819. Mr. Grenelle wrote an account of his ordination, a part of which is incor- porated here. He says: "The examination was in a room in a shell of a meeting house in a place called Meadville and the ordination was on a Sunday afternoon. A two horse lumber wagon was drawn into a large grove near the meeting house. This wagon served as a pulpit and contained all the ministers present. The congregation, about one thousand, were seated around." The ordination of Zelotes Grenelle out doors illustrated the career of this wonderful man. A man of assured health and force, he was foremost every where in the champion- ship of truth and duty and though universally esteemed by the anti- nomian leaders, he was the most feared by them as an opponent of their theories.
Mr. Grenelle wore a loose fitting jacket of Calvinism and yet none more fully maintained the doctrine of the Divine Sovereignty; total depravity; regeneration essential and the blood of the cross the only way of salvation. Mr. Grenelle was pastor of second Wantage till 1822. That year, one hundred and twenty-three members, including the pastor, were dismissed to form the Orange church in the state of New York. This withdrawal resulted in the extinction of Second Wantage church.
Still three pastors served the church after the dismission of so large a number of its members. In 1870, the name of the church was dropped from the list of churches. A letter from the church not having been received since 1865. A house of worship was built while Mr. Casad was pastor. Its pulpit had longer vacancies than supplies.
1798 is claimed as the date of the organization of the Hamburg church. August 1811, would be a more exact statement of its beginning The Vernon church formed in 1798, was six miles from Hamburg and its pastor was Rev. Thomas Teasdale. Members of Vernon church lived in Hamburg and decided in 1811 to constitute a church in that village; an organization was made in 1811. Mr. Teasdale was pastor of both of these churches, of Hamburg till 1814, and of Vernon till 1819. Then, Vernon church disbanded and its membership united at Hamburg. The Hamburg church formed originally of members of Vernon and later, absorbing that body adopted the date of the mother body. One good of this action is that the history of early Baptist movements in Sussex County is preserved.
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Some of the longest settled Baptists in Vernon township have lately said that they did not know of any other Baptist church in the towns- ship than the Glenwood church, organized in 1862. The Hamburg church is virtually the Vernon church in a changed location. A house of worship was built in Hamburg on a lot given by Mr. Ryerson for the use of all denominations. Baptists and Presbyterians, chiefly occupied it. Pastor Thomas Teasdale died in 1827, seventy-four years old. He had been pastor at Vernon since 1811. How long before that is unwritten. It is believed that he was the first pastor at Hamburg, retaining his charge in the removal of the church to Hamburg and died while pastor. He was greatly lamented by the church and com- munity. Himself and his brother John did a great work for the King- dom of God in North New Jersey. The Teasdales and Zelotes Grenelle were strangers to schools but they had one teacher, the Holy Spirit, and one class book, the Bible. Rev. L. Fletcher was called to be pastor in 1827, while pastor at first Wantage and preached for three years part of the time. In March 1831, Rev. John Teasdale first as supply, then as pastor, minstered to the church. His labors had reward in the ensuing winter by the addition to the church of eighty baptized converts. Mr. Teasdale closed his pastoral care in 1833. Rev. C. C. Park followed in November, 1833, and resigned in 1835. Rev. James Spencer was called and was ordained in December 1837. The minute book of the church speaks of him as an "humble, earnest and devoted minister of Christ."' In the autumn of 1837 began what is called "the great revival," One hundred and thirty-six were baptized that year and in three years, two hundred and seventy-three were added to the church by baptism. Since the great Teacher preached, it has been that "Many from that day went back from following him." Thus also, it was that many drifted with the religious current and were deceived in themselves. In the summer of 1838 Rev. William H. Spencer settled as pastor and concluded his ministry at Hamburg in October 1845.
Next month, Rev. John Davis entered the pastoral office and con- tinued till 1849. His ministry of instruction and training the lately added disciples for usefulness, was a great blessing to them and to the church. Upon his removal, a temporary arrangement was made with Rev. J. M. Hope to preach as his health permitted. This lasted till the spring of 1851, when his health failed. Then, Rev. Thomas Davis, pastor of first Wantage, consented to preach in an afternoon service which continued one year. A call was given to J. S. Christine as pastor and that lasted three years. Rev. J. M. Hope had recovered his health and in 1856, became pastor. The church edifice was out of repair, and Mr. Hope set about its improvement and the house was rededicated
Zelotes Grenelle
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in 1858. Mr. Hope also secured a parsonage. Eight years were occup- pied on lines of labor essential to the permanent usefulness of the church. In 1864, he resigned. Next year, 1865, Rev. D. Silver settled as pastor and was ordained in February 1865, and was pastor fifteen years. The succession of pastors is: A. Millington from 1881, three years; E. D. Shull, from 1884, two years; E. J. Cooper, 1889, two years; E. J. O. Millington, 1891, two years; A. S. Bastian, 1894, two years; A. S. Thompson, 1895, three years; H. J. Roberts, 1900. Five mem- bers have been licensed to preach. The first of these, M. Quin, in 1831, was one of the most efficient ministers. He gave himself to labor in destitute fields and in weak churches. He and John Todd of Cedarville were favorite missionaries of the Board of the New Jersey Baptist State Convention. In 1823, the antinomian element in Hamburg, numbering twenty-two, called for letters of dismission. Instead of complying, the church called a council for advice. Upon its recom- mendation, the applicants were excluded. These, constituted them- selves into an antinomian church and located in the village of Franklin. This body has long since become extinct. There has not been colonies from Hamburg church. The church has had eighteen pastors. One, A. Millington, has been pastor twice. One, the first, has died, having been pastor seventeen years and another six or seven years. How many houses of worship, if more than one, does not appear. Two parsonages: the first outside of the village, was sold; the second was build a few years ago in the village.
CHAPTER XXXV.
CHURCHES OF CAPE MAY COUNTY
Morgan Edwards says of First Cape May Baptist church, that it may be deemed an original church, having sprung from none other, but having originated in the place where it exists. "For the origin of this church, we must take a retrospect of affairs to 1675, in which year a vessel with emigrants in Delaware (river or bay) from England who settled some at the cape and some elsewhere. Among those at the cape, were two Baptists; viz: George Taylor and Philip Hill. Taylor kept a meeting in his own house and with his exhortations, reading the Bible and expounding and enlightened some in the article of Believer baptism. After his death in 1702, Mr. Hill continued the meetings till 1704, when he died.
Soon after, George Eaglesfield visited the Cape and made more proselytes. These went to Philadelphia to receive Holy baptism (60 miles distant) as appears by the Association book." "In 1688, Elias Keach visited these parts and ordained one Ashton. In the fall of 1711 Rev. Thomas Griffiths of "Welsh tract" Del., went to the Cape with the view to purchase land and settle among the people for life. But failing in his design, he quitted them, the next spring and recommended to them, Rev. Nathaniel Jenkins, who had just arrived in the country from Wales. Mr. Jenkins came and pleased the people and on June 24th, 1712, he and they were constituted a Baptist church by Rev. T. Brooks of Cohansie and his Elders were thirty-seven constituents, of whom twenty were women and seventeen men." A noteworthy statement.
Baptists and their long vigil of twenty-nine years, each true to the Divine Word, no doubt ofttimes discouraged, and yet, "for Christ's sake" was a sufficient motive. First Cape May was the fourth Baptist church established in New Jersey and it was the first to recognize wives and daughters as equally entitled with husbands and sons to be enrolled as constituents of a Gospel church. How much Mr. Jenkin had to do with this is unwritten. In Wales, his native land, for centuries married women were entitled to vote. Welsh women were not inferiors. Mr. Edwards adds this additional information of this church: "In 1715, they built their first meeting house on land of a man whose title being naught they lost both the house and land. In 1742-3, religion was raised high at the Cape, owing partly to the preaching of Baptist min-
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isters and partly to the labors of the Presbyterian ministers of the Newlight order, but many of the disciples of the latter joining the Baptists caused much grumbling and a public dispute and polemic writings."
This was the occasion of the public debate on baptism in which Abel Morgan of Middletown had a part with the President of Princeton College. Rev. N. Jenkins was the first pastor for eighteen years, going from Cape May to Cohansie. Mr. Jenkins had previously been preaching at Cohansie once each month for six years, while pastor at Cape May. This was in the interim of the death of Mr. William Butcher, pastor of Cohansie and the coming of Mr. Jenkins to be pastor at Cohansie. Mr. Edwards, speaking of Mr. Jenkins, says of him: "He became their minis ter at the constitution of the church in 1712, first Cape May. He was a Welshman and arrived in America in 1710. He was a man of good parts and a tolerable education and quitted himself with honor in the loan office, London, England (whereof he was a trustee and also in the Assembly, the Governor's Legislature or Council) particularly in 1721 when a bill was brought in to punish such as denied the Doctrine of the Trinity; the Divinity of Christ; the inspiration of the scriptures etc." In opposition to which, Mr. Jenkins stood up and with the warmth and accent of a Welshman said: "I believe the doctrines in question, as firmly as the promoters of that ill designed bill; but will never consent to oppose the opposers with law, or with any other weapon, save that of argument." The bill was quashed to the great mortification of them who wanted to raise in New Jersey, the spirit which waged in New England.
Mr. Jenkins was educated much better than the average of his times, he had high business qualities and commanded the best places in commercial and political life. Like to other Welshmen he was imbued with the great principal of soul liberty characteristic of Wales for centuries. Mr. Jenkins was succeeded at Cape May by his son. The son was ordained in 1747 at the age of thirty-seven. Owing to his ill health, his pastorate was short; about seven years. It is said of him that he was a man superior, both in mind and cultrue. The uni- versal habit of intoxicating drink ensnared him and he fell into a premature dotage, dying in 1769, fifty-nine years old. In 1756, Mr. Samuel Heaton settled as pastor, but in 1760, he removed to Dividing Creek, where he gathered a church and was its pastor. Mr. Heaton was a Presbyterian. His experience in becoming a Baptist is in the history of Schooley's Mountain church, now known as Mount Olive. Driven by the Indians from a church in Virginia, he had founded there, he moved to Cape May.
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