USA > New Jersey > A history of Baptists in New Jersey > Part 4
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Taylor, of Crozer Seminary. Mrs. Taylor said to the writer: the lady solicitor would walk from their homes nine to twelve miles to "The Lower Congregation" to collect funds for the use of the society. The spirit of missions imbued "The Upper Congregation." One woman, Mrs. Ann B. Taylor, must be referred to as especially devoted to these causes. They appointed a committee in 1787 to collect moneys to aid "the Church on Staten Island in building a meeting-house. Twenty- seven years prior to the birth of the Home Mission Society, funds were
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collected for 'Home Missions and Education.' " A female benevolent society, formed in 1825, in "The Upper Congregation," collected moneys for the destitute from its origin till it ceased to be, in 1845. Through it, the convention has received funds from its beginning, six years be- fore it resolved itself into the Second Middletown Church. It appro- priated $5.00 to the "Young Men's Education Society" in New Jersey, before the "New Jersey Baptist Education Society" was formed.
Foreign Missions were also annually contributed to for many years prior to the separation of the Church in 1836. Each year since the Church has contributed to the State Convention. The first gift was twenty dollars, and never after less. Without exception, it has also given annually to Foreign Missions, beginning with five dollars and increasing to nearly three hundred dollars in one year. Since 1845, it has an unbroken annual credit for Home Missions and Bible purposes. Feeble Churches have ever shared in its sympathies. From the first, the school at Hightstown has had a large place in the heart of the Church, to which it has given many thousands of dollars.
Mrs. Taylor organized and maintained a Woman's Mission Society to buy books for the Sunday-schools, to clothe needy children of de- pendent parents. The society sent money to India, through the Eng- lish Baptist Mission Society before 1800. After Mr. Elliot resigned, living on her farm two miles from Holmdel, she walked to the meeting- house, superintended the Sunday-school there, returned home to take charge of the Sunday-school at home. Some facts illustrate the char- acter of Mrs. Taylor: She always paid her pew rent a year in advance, saying, "She might die at any time and she wanted to be sure that her pew rent was paid the year in which she died." She died in 1879,
eighty-three years old. Times were set for benevolent collections on the Lord's day. If the collection on such a day was delayed, Mrs, Taylor always made her way to the pastor: "To-day was the time for such a
collection; you have not forgotten it? No? Well, don't!" Clusters of members lived at several localities and had unique ways of getting to the house of prayer. The women had a custom of ride and walk. A mother and daughter, two sisters, or neighbors, would arrange for one to ride on a horse to a given place and there hitch the horse and walk on to another set place and wait. The other having walked to the horse, from thence rode on to the one waiting and thus on, it might be to the house of worship, distant from their home, perhaps, ten or more miles. A key to this consciousness of the blessedness of divine truth, was the preaching.
The preacher had much to say of the grace of God, of a free and undeserved salvation; of being "kept by the power of God through faith
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unto salvation." The "meat" in the sermon was nourishing, or, if it lacked the pith of "Divine Sovereignty," it was emptiness to one who who had walked two days, or had journeyed, "ride and walk," for twenty miles to reach the house of God. The experience of these disciples was, as in the early ages, the Bible, universally essential to an uplift of person and nation.
The Rev. Mr. Roberts was an earnest and staunch temperance man and "The Upper Congregation" was in hearty sympathy with him. The earliest remembered public discussion of temperance in "The Upper Congregation," was a sermon by Pastor Roberts, about 1834, from the text: "I speak as unto wise men, judge ye what I say." The discourse made a deep impression upon the community; many accepted the doc- trine of total abstinence, some of whom now living, 1881, refer to it as the means of their giving up the use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage. A positive temperance sentiment was at this time devel- oped, which, nurtured by Pastor Hires, ripened into Church action in 1839, when "Total abstinence from intoxicating drinks as a beverage was declared to be a Christian duty."
Why did not Pastor Roberts preach a like sermon in the "Lower Congregation?" Had he done so, it would have destroyed the influence for good on the very lines on which he hoped to secure reform. "The Lower Congregation" was allied with the political influences of the day and less responsive to the then called "radical temperance movement. Later both the Navesink and the New Monmouth churches were com- posed of a temperance element, not at home in the mother church and on this account under the influence of Mr. Roberts and Mr. W. V. Wil- son went out." "The Upper and "The Lower Congregations" were extremely unlike and this may have reconciled them to the division in 1836 and hurried Pastor Roberts' resignation the next year. The un- likeness of these branches of the same Church was partly due to the dignity of ancestral names in the "Upper Congregation" and to the ac- cumulation of wealth by succeeding generations. It is a surprise that the division had not occurred when Abel Morgan became pastor in 1738.
Pastor Hires resigned in 1846, having been pastor of the Second Middletown Church ten years. There is not a known reason for his sudden and unexpected resignation. His charge was a continuous success. He was a rare preacher for conciseness and strength. Few equalled him in his capacity to inspire people and to train them for use- fulness. His going away was a great loss to the Church. The "bent" he gave to it for temperance, missions and education is still manifest. He grounded his people in fundamental truth. God a sovereign; man a sinner and lost; Christ the only Saviour; men saved to glorify God and 3
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to be co-workers with and for him. Mr. Gobel, the anti-nomian once invaded his fold. His coming and his flight were contemporary.
Rev. William J. Nice followed Mr. Hires in 1848, remaining three years and as much to the surprise and regret of the Church he gave up his charge, as had Mr. Hires, and left at once. It is believed that the same cause led Mr. Nice to resign as had influenced Mr. Hires to leave. Mr. Nice was one of the most modest and lovely of men. He was intensely conscientious and wholly devoted to his Master, a choice spirit and one to be leaned upon. Rev. C. W. Mulford was pastor for two years, but his impaired health compelled him to close his labors.
One of the choicest of men, Rev. C. E. Wilson, became pastor and for nearly sixteen years ministered to the Church. Universally beloved the good man laid down and died. While pastor, the house of worship was enlarged to double its former capacity. Large congregations wait- ed on the labors of this true man of God and he had a remarkably successful pastorate.
After Mr. Wilson, came Rev. T. S. Griffiths, settling in April 1870. The following extract at the end of ten years, instances some results of the ten years' work: The financial and benevolent departments of the Church have very marked characteristics. A debt that had ac- cumulated in 1870 to $4,000 has been paid; also repairs, since then, costing $1,400. The annual home expenditures of the last ten years has been nearly double that of former years, averaging $2,120 each year, and aggregating $21,200.00 The annual average benevolence of the Church for the first thirty-three years of its, existence was $205.62, and for the whole period $6785.56. In the last ten years, the benevolence of the Church has aggregated $12,241.95, an annual average of $1,224.19. The whole amount paid for home and foreign interests since 1870 has been $33.441.95, an annual average of $3,344.10. Mr. Griffiths removed in September, 1881.
Rev. W. W. Case settled in December next, 1881. While Mr Case was pastor, a new parsonage was built, but there was not, as in the old one, a room reserved for Abel Morgan's library; also a chapel was built for social and Sunday-school uses. The Church edifice was remodeled within and without at a cost of many thousands of dollars. The house of worship will accommodate about half as many as it did before the alterations were made in 1887-1894.
Holmdel is a rural settlement and has neither factories nor railroad connections; withal the country is filling up with foreign- ers, whose "faith" and associations are alien to the old settlers.
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1847999
MIDDLETOWN AND HOLMDEL
Endowments, however, by some of the old families, descendants of the original constituents relieved anxiety for its future support. Mr. Case's charge continued nearly twelve years.
In 1894, Rev. R. B. Fisher became pastor and is now (1904) pastor. There has not been need of improvement in the properties of the Church since Mr. Case resigned. Several members have been licensed to preach. The Church claims in part the maternity of Churches. Cohansie and Hopewell went out of "The Upper Congregation."
Not many Churches are paralleled with the old Church in the number of its off-shoots. Through Obadiah Holmes, Jr., a constituent, Cohan- sie and its outgrowth; through Jonathan Stout, another constituent, First Hopewell, Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex counties were planted with Baptist Churches. Hightstown also and Upper Freehold have multiplied many fold. So that as many as one hundred and seven Baptist Churches have sprung from this oldest Baptist Church South of Rhode Island. Mr. Hires had regular appointments at Keyport, Mata- wan and Marlboro. The constituency of Red Bank also was increased from Holmdel. Under Pastor Griffiths, both Marlboro and Eatontown were each saved from extinction.
Other influences for good have gone out to New York State, and to the far South from the venerable Church. The first Baptist school in America, was at Hopewell, where her sons and those of other Churches were educated for the ministry. James Manning, John Gano, Hezekiah Smith, the Suttons and many others for eminent places in judicial and political life must be included as one gift of the old Church to Baptists and to the world.
Holmdel, hedged in by seven Baptist Churches, only one of which is nine miles distant, its field is limited, but it had a distinctive constituency and their descendants are as .characteristic as was their ancestry. Allusion to the Holmes family has been already made; an- other family by the name of Longstreet gave strength to the Church. The mother, Mary Holmes, was a near descendant of Obadiah Holmes, Sr. She left a legacy to "Peddie Institute." Each of her children liv- ing at home did the same. Some of them endowed the Holmdel Church. Jonathan and Mary, Jr., built and endowed the Longstreet library building at Peddie Institute. The Holmdel Baptists were an influen- tial people, having the endowments of heart, character and wealth. Pastor Hires at Holmdel after the division of the Church, received the same salary as the whole Church had given to Mr. Roberts. Many Anglo-African's lived there and they included some of the nobility of the earth. They would come to the parsonage on Monday morning and say: "I hear that a collection for missions was
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taken yesterday. I could not be there; here is what I would have given if present, add it to the other."
A family of Ely's located at Holmdel at an early day. The father, though of an opposite political party to a majority of thousands in the county, was elected to the most important office in the county on ac- count of his personal worth. Removing to Holmdel, leaving his eldest son on the homestead farm, who under the same conditions as his father was also elected to the same office and for the same reason, his pre- eminent worth as a citizen and a man. Of six sons four were deacons: One at Freehold, three at Holmdel and also the husband of an only daughter. The mother of these sons was a remarkable woman. Henry, a son, told to his pastor this incident of his childhood: On Lord's day morning his mother said to him: "Go and get ready for Church." He replied: "I can't go to Church to-day." "Why not?" "My shoes are worn out." "Why did you not tell me that yesterday? Now, you shall go to Church bare foot." He did. And he said to his pastor: "Ever afterwards mother knew of worn out shoes and anything else needful to wear to Church." Such a woman was of the same type as Mrs. Taylor. Mrs. Taylor's only son was a deacon.
Said a neighbor to whom religion was an offense, to the same pastor: "If I had a million of dollars I would put it in William Ely's hands to keep for me nor ask for a "note" or a scrap of acknowledgment from him; sure that when I wanted it I would get it." Henry could not be drafted in the Civil War because of the loss of an eye. He said to his pastor: "Then, I employed a "substitute" for six hundred dollars for a year. At its end, he said to himself: 'I can spare six hun- dred dollars for my country, why can I not spare that extra each year for Christ? I can and will' " And he was a plain farmer. He did this till he died. His benevolent gifts were quite a thousand dollars each year. His death was glorious. O, for a vast increase of such moth- ers and such sons. Middletown Church has been the mother of more than one hundred Churches not only in New Jersey, but in Pennsyl- vania, New York and in the South.
CHAPTER II.
COHANSIE, 1690, SALEM IN 1755.
Cohansie is the name of a river that designates its vicinity. When, in 1683, the first Baptists came from Clouketin, Tipperay county, Ire- land, they settled on the South side of the river and built a meeting house on the farm of David Thomas (a Welsh name). The names of these Baptists were: David Sheppard, Thomas Sheppard and John Sheppard (brothers); Morgan Edwards also mentions Thomas Abbot and William Button. About 1700, they moved to the North side of the river and built a house of worship, about 2 miles south of Rhoadstown. Morgan Edwards states part of the lot was a gift of Roger Maul and the "deed," dated December 28th, 1713, and part the gift of Nathan Sheppard, his "deed" is dated February 6th, 1779. Morgan Edwards further says: "A house of worship was built in 1741, on the site of the old house."
The Dutch West India Company was an enterprising corporation. In 1621, Captain May sailed into the Delaware bay with emigrants, Quakers, Swedes and Hollanders, these landed at various points on both sides of the river. Mixtures of population from different nations of Europe were peculiar to the Middle Eastern States. New England and Virginia alone having positive relation to English population. Irish Baptists had no more liberty than in England, Scotland or on the continent. Wherever they appeared, their presence was a reason for their persecution, whether by Protestants or Roman Catholics. Kingcraft and hierarchies hated democracy and the integrity of the men and women who maintained their convictions and won for humanity the right to think and to do what was right, out of these will be recognized as having accomplished more for human welfare and for the independency of mankind, than all or any other humanitarian movement in the world. It will be known that the Divine Christ was essentially interwoven in their thought and purpose of living. Their persecutions will be seen to be the scaffolding by which they have lifted the rights of men to the topmost place in government, and by which they have climbed to the endearment of the Divine love. Our bread had been an aversion, but for the "little leaven" of which it gave no sign. The hewed waters, leaking from the cracks of rocks, waste away, yet they index the ores hidden from sight. Thus character that modifies nations is life or death to humanity. Are a record names of
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constituents of churches, and some scarcely note, that such a record memoralizes a birth hour of unspeakable interests.
The early records of Cohansie church are lost, but we are indebted to the researches of Morgan Edward and of Robert Kelsay to fill the gap. Obadiah Holmes, Jr., the youngest son of Obadiah Holmes, Sr., the Massachusetts Baptist martyr with another Baptist, visited Cohansie in 1683-5. He was now about forty years old, having been born in Salem, Mass., in 1644. His father was a member of the Congregational Church there and its record states: Obadiah Holmes, Jr., was christened (sprinkled) on June 9th, 1644. Mr. Holmes, Jr., was only licensed. He gathered the Baptists together, maintained meetings and souls were converted. Inasmuch, as he had been appointed a Judge of the Courts he may have lived in Salem. He sent for Rev. Elias Keach, of Penepack, Pa., in 1688, to baptise the converts. He came and baptized three men. This good news went to Holmdel. "The yearly meetings between Middle- town and Piscataway were in progress and Mr. Killingsworth, of Piscat- away visited Cohansie. Other Baptists moved there: One, John Holmes, the second son of Obadiah, Sr., and brother to Obadiah, Jr., John Holmes had been a Judge in the Philadelphia Courts. He settled at Alloway and Baptists increased to nine men. Of these the Cohansie Church was constituted." Middletown, Piscataway and Co- hansie are the sole Baptist Churches formed in New Jersey in which only men are named as constituents.
Rev. Thomas Killingsworth became pastor of Cohansie at its organ- ization. His coming was providential. He was pastor nineteen years and was beloved by his people and the community. He was a mission- ary pastor going far and wide, gathering Baptists into the several centers as at Salem. Succeeding pastors continued on these lines. Especially Mr. Jenkins, until about two years before his death in 1754 at the age of seventy-six years. In the meantime, a meeting house had been built at Mill Hollow, two miles from Salem towards Alloway, to where Judge Holmes had moved from Philadelphia. A church at Alloway was formed in 1741. The Mill Hollow house was in part to accommodate this Church. Later the Alloway Church disbanded. As Mr. Jenkins lost his health, Mr. Job Sheppard and Robert Kelsay licen- tiates of Cohansie, looked after the out stations. Mr. Sheppard having moved to Alloway took care of that section. Mr. Kelsay, living at Pittsgrove, cared for that region. Rev. R. Kelsay later pastor at Cohansie, gathered data of the early history of the Church and put it in shape for our information. While, as already indicated, Obadiah Holmes, Jr., was the first Baptist minister hereabouts and a Judge
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in the Courts, he kept up his ministerial labors, for the coming pastor. Mr. Killingsworth's arrival was providential. He died while pastor in 1708. His was the work of a missionary pastor, going far and wide gathering Baptists into centers, as at Salem.
It is not a surprise that Baptists were chosen Judges, since a large majority of the residents of Salem county were "Friends" (Quakers). Between them and Baptists was a kindly feeling, acquired in their sufferings to keep an open Bible, a free conscience and equality before the law. The "Friends" knew that they were safe with Baptist Judges.
In 1710, Rev Timothy Brooks accepted the pastorate. Morgan Edwards gives the history of this arrangement as written by Pastor Kelsay: "In 1710, Rev. Timothy Brooks and his followers united with this Church. They had come from Massachusetts about 1687 and for twenty-three years kept a separate society on account of difference of opinion touching predestination, singing psalms, laying on of hands, etc. Rev. V. Whitman, of Groton, Conn., effected the union. Its terms were: Bearance and Forbearance." Pastor Brooks, Mr. Kelsay writes was not eminent for parts or learning, yet was a useful preacher; meek in his carriage; of a sweet and loving temper and always open to con- viction and made the Welsh ministers labor to instruct him in the "ways of the Lord more perfectly." Mr. Brooks died in 1716, having won the love of both flocks, who were heartily united in him.
During nearly five years "supplies" preached. In 1721, Mr. William Butcher was ordained for the pastorate. Death limited his service to about three years. He died in December, 1724, at the age of twenty-six years. He was a "good minister of the Gospel." For the next six years Rev. Nathaniel Jenkins, pastor of first Cape May church, preached once a month at Cohansie. Resigning at Cape May, in 1730, he became pastor at Cohansie. Mr. Jenkins was an eminent man and commanded a high place in both ministerial and governmental life. He had a gift of "bringing things to pass," as many Welsh men do by their forceful en- ergy. The Church grew along all lines. Preaching stations were plant- ed at Salem, Dividing Creek, Pittsgrove, Alloway and Great Eggharbor. A new Church edifice was built. Job Sheppard, the first pastor at Salem, Robert Kelsay, the first pastor at Pittsgrove, and afterwards pastor at Cohansie for thirty three years, succeeded Mr. Jenkins. Each were licensed to preach at Cohansie. Mr. Jenkins served the Church till 1754, when he died. Few ministers in New Jersey accomplished more for God and humanity, both in the Legislature and in the ministry, than Pastor Jenkins. In his last illness, he advised the members to choose Mr. Kelsay to follow him, and after Mr. Jenkins died they did so
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NEW JERSEY BAPTIST HISTORY
immediately. But Mr. Kelsay objected to leaving Pittsgrove. He also thought that his friend, Mr. Job Sheppard, was the right one to follow Mr. Jenkins. It was interesting to note the contention of Mr. Sheppard and Mr. Kelsay as to which one of them should take the mother Church. Each wanted the other to enter this foremost place.
There was a Providence, however, which over-ruled the matter. Mr. Sheppard had become pastor at Salem and was wanted there. Mr. Kelsay's home in Pittsgrove had been burned up. Then Cohansie re- newed the call with emphasis and Mr. Kelsay consented and began his charge in May, 1756. He was a native of Ireland and came to Cohansie in 1738, was baptized in 1741, licensed in 1743, settled at Pittsgrove, a branch of Cohansie, preached there twelve years and was ordained in 1750. A contemporary said of him: "As a man and companion, he was amusing and instructive. As a Christian he was exemplary and animated; as a preacher, he was fervent and truly orthodox. Warmly engaged was he in the service of the sanctuary, to which he repaired without interruption till a few days previous to his death." Mr. Kelsay had the genial qualities of the Irish, to which was added fervent piety and great earnestness in his ministry. He was a man of order and set himself to make up deficiencies. A later pastor says of him: "the early records of the Church being lost, the first register of which we have any knowledge was commenced by him in 1757. It is a large folio bound in parchment and contains the earliest statistics extant. Everything pertaining to the general record of the Church was kept with scrupulous exactness."
With respect to the results of his ministry, the Church has great reason for devout thankfulness. The membership in the first decade increased from one hundred and six to one hundred and thirty-one, despite deaths, removals and a colony to form Dividing Creek Church in 1761. £ In the second decade, although the membership had decreased, another colony formed the Pittsgrove Church. A third decade included the Revolutionary War. Every hallowed influence was over borne by the desolation of homes and lands. The colony being a highway of the contending armies and the harbors being a refuge of English fleets, its seacoast and rivers were patrolled by warships to destroy the commerce. Special seasons of grace were enjoyed, however, in 1781 and 1782, in which sixty-eight disciples were baptized. A memorial of Mr. Kelsay is found in the minutes of the Philadelphia Association. He preached at its session in 1788 to young ministers from Acts 8: 35. He advised them: I. To study with earnest prayer as if it all depended upon their own endeavors; but in preaching to depend on Divine assistance as though they had not studied
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at all. II. To be concise in preaching and to conclude when done, III. To pray for a blessing immediately after preaching." Good ad- vise to preachers young or old. Especially these days when so much emphasis is laid upon an educated ministry. Mr. Kelsay was seventy- seven years old when he preached the sermon spoken of. Next year on May 30th, 1789, he died, having been pastor of Cohansie Church thirty- three years and, if Pittsgrove is included, spent his whole ministry, forty- five years among his own people.
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